ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Evolutionary grade

An evolutionary grade is like a group of people with something in common. Just like some people can be grouped together because they like the same things or have the same hobbies, animals can be grouped together because they share similar traits. For example, all the animals that have feathers are grouped together in the bird category.

But not all groups are created equal. Some groups are more advanced and have more traits than others. This is what we call an evolutionary grade. Think of it like a ladder, where each step represents a different level of complexity or advancement.

For example, we might have a group of animals that are all cold-blooded and lay eggs. This is a low evolutionary grade. But then we have another group that are warm-blooded, have hair or fur, and give birth to live young. This is a higher evolutionary grade.

So, when we talk about evolutionary grades, we're really just talking about how advanced a group of animals is compared to others. It's like putting them into groups based on how many cool things they can do or how many awesome traits they have.