title: [Tree thinking: the evolution of vertebrate as a case study].
abstract: In the last decades, the reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships and their representation in the form of a phylogenetic tree have become a powerful tool for biology. These methods involve the use of sophisticated computer programs that are unfamiliar to most of biologists. However, our experience as teacher and researcher in evolutionary biology prompted us to realize that the main and most common source of confusion in depicting the evolution of various traits comes from the misunderstanding of the basis of tree reading. We have identified, not only in the work of our students, but also in scientific literature, some common mistakes that reveal the persistency of the concept of the scale of beings that unfortunately maintained as frame of reference to analyse phylogenies.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire évolution, génomes et spéciation, UPR 9034 CNRS, avenue de la Terrasse, Bâtiment 13, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Casane
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laurenti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001695:Biology / Q000266:history / Q000379:methods*; D056084:Genetic Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D010375:Pedigree; D010802:Phylogeny; D013850:Thinking / Q000502:physiology; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*