Evolutionary relationships give you predictivity
So, phylogenetic relationships evolutionary relationships give you predictivity and that predictivity is fed into classifications. Classifications are these hierarchical structures that allow us to discover where, or show how, animals are related to one another and that is highly predictive. Classifications form the base of human beings using biodiversity. So, if you know that, for instance, the Pacific Yew is good because the bark produces taxol taxol is a very, very important drug in cancer treatment - then you're not going to go and look at pine trees to find a product very similar to taxol. You're going to go and look at other yews elsewhere in the world because you would expect to find similar chemicals in closely related trees. The same thing for all kinds of compounds and products that human beings use. It's classification and phylogenetic relationships that allow that predictivity.
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Narrative Index
BioForum Index
