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