# Explain why scientists use evolutionary trees when classifying living organisms.

> AQA GCSE Biology (8461) — 4.6.4 Classification of living organisms · Explain · 4 marks

## Mark scheme (4 marks)

1. Evolutionary trees show the evolutionary relationships between organisms
2. They show how closely related different organisms/species are to one another
3. Classification based on evolutionary relationships is more accurate / reflects true biological relationships compared to classification based on physical characteristics alone
4. Molecular evidence / DNA sequence data can be used to construct evolutionary trees, making classification more reliable

## Key terms

- [evolutionary tree](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/evolutionary-tree)

## Related

- [Revision notes for AQA GCSE Biology (8461)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/explain-why-scientists-use-evolutionary-trees-d458ea73) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.