A clade (from ancient Greek κλάδος, klados, "branch") is a term used in modern alpha taxonomy, the scientific classification of living and fossil organisms, to describe a monophyletic group, defined as a group consisting of a single common ancestor and all its descendants.[note 1][1]
The common ancestor of any reasonably-sized group, and most of its descendants, will usually be long extinct.[note 2] It is not necessary for a clade to contain any living representatives.
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