Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
phylogeny
{
phyˊlo-gen′e-sis
(fīˊlō̍-jĕn;ē̍-sĭs)
, phy-log′e-ny
(fī-lŏj′ē̍-ny̆)
, } Noun.
[Gr.
φῦλον
race, tribe + E. genesis
, or root of Gr. γίγνεσθαι
to be born.] The history of genealogical development; the sequence of events involved in the evolutionary development of a species or taxonomic group of organisms; the historic exolution of the phylon or tribe, in distinction from
ontogeny
, or the development of the individual organism, and from biogenesis, or life development generally.
Syn. – evolution.