ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Molecular phylogeny

Molecular phylogeny is like building a family tree for living things. We can figure out how different creatures are related to each other. Scientists take a sample of DNA from different creatures, which is like a part of their family history, and they look at how similar or different the DNA is. They then make a diagram to show how different creatures are related. This diagram is called a molecular phylogeny.