Master the A Level Biology Exam. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations to ace your test. Start your journey to excellence!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


What does phylogeny refer to in biology?

  1. The classification of organisms based on their habitats

  2. The evolutionary relationships between organisms

  3. The process of natural selection in populations

  4. The study of genetic variations within a species

The correct answer is: The evolutionary relationships between organisms

Phylogeny refers to the evolutionary relationships between organisms. It encompasses the history of how different species have evolved over time, illustrating the connections and divergence among various groups based on common ancestry. This concept is often depicted through phylogenetic trees, which visualize these relationships and show how closely related different species are based on their evolutionary past. Understanding phylogeny is crucial for studying biodiversity, evolutionary biology, and the traits shared among organisms due to common ancestry, thereby providing insights into the processes that shape life on Earth.