cladogenesis

noun

clad·​o·​gen·​e·​sis ˌkla-də-ˈje-nə-səs 

: evolutionary change characterized by treelike branching of taxa compare anagenesis

cladogenetic

ˌkla-dō-jə-ˈne-tik 

adjective

cladogenetically

ˌkla-dō-jə-ˈne-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of cladogenesis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Whereas, in cladogenesis, a lineage splits into two or more separate lines. —Julia Musto, Fox News, 5 Mar. 2022

This branching mode of evolution, known as cladogenesis, can occur when populations of a species become isolated from one another and are thus able to evolve in different directions. —Kate Wong, Scientific American, 7 Dec. 2019

Further evidence for cladogenesis comes from a 3.9m years old frontal bone (part of the forehead) from Ethiopia, discovered in 1981. —Hester Hanegraef, Quartz Africa, 7 Sep. 2019

The difference between anagenesis — a linear progression from Species A to its descendent, Species B — and cladogenesis — when a single species A splits into two or more distinct descendent species (B, C, and so on) — may seem a bit in the weeds for the average armchair paleoanthropologist. —Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 28 Aug. 2019

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Kladogenese, from Greek kládos "branch" + -o- -o- + German Genese genesis

Note: The term was introduced by the German biologist Bernhard Rensch (1900-90) in Neuere Probleme der Abstammungslehre (Stuttgart, 1947), p. 95.

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cladogenesis

• biogenesis
• diagenesis
• histogenesis
• lipogenesis
• morphogenesis
• mutagenesis
• neurogenesis
• oncogenesis
• ontogenesis
• paragenesis
• pathogenesis
• petrogenesis