cladistic analysis The method of analysis which aims to discover clades and their interrelationships. For each taxon of the group being analysed, character states are ordered by their polarity, to find which taxa are united by most derived states. Only the sharing by two taxa of derived character states is evidence that they belong to the same clade.

cladistic analysis The method of analysis which aims to discover clades and their interrelationships. For each taxon of the group being analysed, character states are ordered by their polarity, to find which taxa are united by most derived states. Only the sharing by two taxa of derived character states is evidence that they belong to the same clade.