The probability of monophyly of a sample of gene lineages on a species tree

Monophyletic groups—groups that consist of all of the descendants of a most recent common ancestor—arise naturally as a consequence of descent processes that result in meaningful distinctions between organisms. Aspects of monophyly are therefore central to fields that examine and use genealogical descent. In particular, studies in conservation genetics, phylogeography, population genetics, species delimitation, and systematics can all make use...