Definition

A group of living things that are related because they come from a common ancestor and share certain features.

Example

The biologist studied a clade of reptiles that evolved from a common ancestor.

Conversation

Have you ever heard about the concept of a clade in biology?

Yeah, it's fascinating how it groups organisms based on common ancestry.

Exactly! I find it interesting how we can trace back their evolutionary paths.

Totally! It's amazing to see how diverse life can be from a single clade.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Clade comes from the Latin word 'cladere' (meaning to break or to branch). In biological terms, a clade refers to a group of organisms that includes an ancestor and all its descendants, thus representing a branching in the evolutionary tree.

Memory Tip

Think of 'branching' from a common ancestor — that's what a clade represents in biology.

Visually Confused Words