What is evolution and how does it work?

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Using trees

Biologists use phylogenetic trees in many different ways to solve both scientific and practical problems. The following case studies highlight just a few of these examples:

• Using trees to make predictions about fossils: The whale's ankle

• Using trees to learn about the evolution of complex features: The striped cichlid

• Using trees to make predictions about poorly-studied species: A new drug

• Using trees to learn about the order of evolution: The spider's web

• Using trees to learn about the evolution of diversity: The beetles' diet