Cladogram Tree vs. Phylogenetic Tree
Key Differences
Comparison Chart
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Considered As
Relatedness
Evolutionary Time or Genetic Distance
Evolutionary History
Basis
Length of Branches
Indication of Evolutionary Time
Cladogram Tree vs. Phylogenetic Tree
A cladogram tree is considered as a diagram having branches that shows the relationships between a group of clades. On the other hand, a phylogenetic tree is considered as a branching diagram that shows the contingent association among many biological species, which are typically based on differences and similarities and also on genetic material. The purpose of the cladogram tree is that its shape shows the relatedness between many groups of organisms, while in the phylogenetic tree, the distance among the branches relies on the amount of indirect evolutionary change.
The genetic distance or the evolutionary time is not represented by the cladogram tree, whereas the genetic distance present between the group of organisms and the evolutionary is represented by the phylogenetic tree. A hypothesis about the real evolutionary history is represented by a cladogram tree; however, the phylogenetic tree gives the real evolutionary history to some level.
The cladogram tree is mainly based on the morphological features of the organisms to be shown; on the contrary, the phylogenetic tree is not only based on some morphological features of the organisms but also on the genetic relationships of the organisms to be described. The cladogram tree is made with equal length of branches, and this length of branches does not tell the evolutionary distance, while in the phylogenetic tree, the branching distance indicates the evolutionary distance.
When separating the organism’s taxa, the cladogram tree does not indicate the amount of evolutionary time; on its flip side, the phylogenetic tree shows the amount of evolutionary change when differentiating the organism’s taxa.
What is a Cladogram Tree?
A cladogram tree is known as a branching diagram that is used in cladistics to illustration the evolutionary relationship between the group of clades. A clade is called an assemblage of organisms that consist of entirely evolutionary progenies of a common predecessor.
The amount of evolutionary change in a group of organisms is not depicted by the cladogram tree, nor does it specify the genetic distance or evolutionary time. Each branch of a cladogram tree terminates with a clade and begins with a last common predecessor. The cladogram tree is mainly founded on some morphological features of the specific organisms to be shown.
The cladogram tree is made with equal length of branches, and this length of branches does not tell the evolutionary distance. The cladogram tree does not indicate the amount of evolutionary time when separating the organism’s taxa. A cladogram is drawn by lines and is a tree-like diagram. In a cladogram, the nodes symbolize the detaching of two groups from their common ancestor.
What is a Phylogenetic Tree?
A phylogenetic tree is an evolutionary tree and a branching diagram that primarily describe the indirect relationships between many biological organisms. In the phylogenetic tree, the space present between the branches usually shows the extent of incidental evolutionary modification.
Many features such as internal anatomy, external morphology, behavior, DNA and protein sequences, biochemical pathways, and also the proof of fossils are most importantly used to make a phylogenetic tree. The phylogenetic tree gives the real evolutionary history to some level, but they are not always correct. The information which is given by the sequencing of DNA raises the dependability of the associations in the tree.
In evolutionary biology, phylogenetic studies are more useful to find answers to many difficult problems, for example, the spread of viral infections, the relationship between species and their origin, migration patterns of species, etc. The advanced level of molecular biological methods has helped many biologists to calculate phylogenetic connections among organisms concerning the evolutionary modifications of the organisms.
When compare with cladograms, the phylogenetic tree contains more significance when talking about the associations of organisms in a significant way regarding their descendants and evolution. A phylogenetic tree is usually sketched as similar to a branching tree diagram in which branch distance is comparative to the evolutionary distance when contrasting a cladogram.
