Molecular phylogenetics

Molecular phylogenetics is like a game of ancestry. You know how you have a family tree with your parents at the top, and their parents above them, and so on? That's kind of what scientists do but with animals, plants and bacteria.

Now, instead of just looking at features like hair or eye color, scientists use something called molecules. Do you remember those tiny little things you learn about in science class called atoms? Well, scientists use special molecules like DNA or RNA to learn about how different species are related.

Every living thing has its own unique DNA. DNA is like a special code that tells the living thing how to grow and behave. Scientists can take samples of DNA from different species and compare them to find out how similar or different they are from each other.

And because every species is different, the DNA codes are different too. Scientists can use these differences to figure out which species are more closely related to each other and which are more distant. It's like finding out who's your cousin and who's your great-great-grandparent.

By understanding how different species are related to each other, scientists can learn about things like how animals evolved over time, how different species developed unique characteristics, and where they originally came from. The more they study the molecules, the more they can understand about the game of ancestry in the animal kingdom!