Monophyletic vs. Paraphyletic

Monophyleticadjective

(biology) Of, pertaining to, or affecting a single phylum (or other taxon) of organisms.

Monophyleticadjective

(biology) Deriving from a single clade (monophylum).

Monophyleticadjective

(biology) Descending from a single ancestral species.

Monophyleticadjective

Descending from a single ancestral species and containing all descendants of that single ancestor, holophyletic.

Monophyleticadjective

Descending from a single ancestral species but not containing all descendants of that ancestor, paraphyletic.

Monophyleticadjective

Of or pertaining to a single family or stock, or to development from a single common parent form; - opposed to polyphyletic; as, monophyletic origin.

Paraphyleticadjective

(systematics) Of a defined group of taxa, not including all descendants of the common ancestor of all members.