phylogeny

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)The evolutionary history of groups of organisms, such as species or clades.

   “It was a bestiary more than a hundred years old, its entries organised by a quaintly outdated phylogeny and illustrated with hand-tinted plates.”

2. (countable, informal, uncountable)A phylogenetic diagram.

   “Holonym: tree of life”

3. (countable, uncountable)The historical development of a human social or racial group.

   “Understanding the phylogeny of this musical group helps us understand its music.”

4. (countable, uncountable)The historical development of any thing, idea, etc.

   “Indeed, in a recent review article, Mithen (2009) traces the phylogeny of human communication […]”