ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

TimeTree

Imagine a big tree with lots of branches and leaves. Now imagine that each of those leaves represents a different species of animal or plant that exists today. But how did all those different species come to be? How did they evolve over time?

That's where timetree comes in. It's like a big family tree for all living things. Scientists use it to figure out how long ago different species split off from each other and evolved into different forms.

To make a timetree, scientists gather lots of information about different species - like their DNA, physical traits, and where they're found around the world. They then use that information to figure out when different species shared a common ancestor and how long ago that happened.

This lets scientists put all the different species into a timeline, showing when they evolved and how they're related to each other. It's like a big puzzle where each species fits into its own little piece, and when you put them all together, you get a complete picture of the evolutionary history of all living things on our planet.