Which term describes evolution through branching of a lineage into multiple lineages?

Which term describes evolution through branching of a lineage into multiple lineages?

• A. Gradualism
• B. Cladogenesis
• C. Anagenesis
• D. Reproductive isolating mechanisms (RIMs)

Answer: (B)

Cladogenesis is the branching of a lineage into two or more descendant lineages, creating new genetic lineages through speciation events. This is the pattern that generates diversity by splitting ancestral lineages rather than changing a single lineage over time. Anagenesis, in contrast, describes evolutionary change within one lineage without splitting. Gradualism refers to the tempo of evolution—the idea that change occurs gradually over time—rather than the branching process itself. Reproductive isolating mechanisms are barriers that prevent interbreeding and help maintain distinct lineages, but they describe how species stay separate rather than how lineages split. So the term for evolution through branching into multiple lineages is cladogenesis.

Cladogenesis is the branching of a lineage into two or more descendant lineages, creating new genetic lineages through speciation events. This is the pattern that generates diversity by splitting ancestral lineages rather than changing a single lineage over time. Anagenesis, in contrast, describes evolutionary change within one lineage without splitting. Gradualism refers to the tempo of evolution—the idea that change occurs gradually over time—rather than the branching process itself. Reproductive isolating mechanisms are barriers that prevent interbreeding and help maintain distinct lineages, but they describe how species stay separate rather than how lineages split. So the term for evolution through branching into multiple lineages is cladogenesis.