Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
phenetics
Noun
/fəˈnɛtɪks/
Definition
The classification of organisms based on measurable physical characteristics.
Examples
- Phenetics focuses on the physical characteristics rather than genetic lineage.
- Researchers used phenetics to group species based on similar leaf structures.
- This approach contrasts with cladistics, which considers evolutionary history.
Meaning
Phenetics is a method of categorizing organisms based on their observable traits, regardless of their evolutionary relationships.
Synonyms
- bionomics
- morphology
- systematics