Cladistics and the fossil record: the uses of history (original) (raw)

This review explores the evolution and significance of cladistics in paleontology and geology. Since its inception by Willi Hennig, cladistics has become the preferred methodology in classification and evolutionary biology, distinguished by its focus on monophyletic groups and synapomorphies. This paper discusses how cladistic methods have transformed understandings of phylogenetic relationships in the fossil record, challenged traditional paradigms, and offered new insights into paleobiology, including diversity, taxonomic changes, and evolutionary adaptations.