The Tree-Thinking Challenge

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1117727
• Publication Date: 2005-11-10T22:33:25Z
• Authors: David A. Baum; Stacey DeWitt Smith; Samuel S. S. Donovan
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; 570; Life Sciences; 500; 01 natural sciences

Phylogenetic trees are widely used to study the relationships among living species and genes. In their Perspective, [ Baum et al. ][1] discuss how it has become apparent that trees are commonly misunderstood, leading to confusion about the concept of common ancestry. Although challenging, tree thinking should be taught as an element of evolution training at all levels. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/310/5750/979