Cladistics is a methodology in phylogenetics that involves the identification of evolutionary relationships between organisms based on shared characteristics that indicate a common ancestor. Synonyms for this word include evolutionary systematics, inferred phylogenetics, and cladogenetics. All of these terms refer to the process of studying evolutionary relationships by grouping organisms into clades based on shared characteristics. Another related word is systematics, which broadly refers to the classification of living organisms. In contrast, cladistics is a more specific approach that focuses on identifying relationships based on evolutionary history rather than arbitrary characteristics. Regardless of the specific terminology used, the study of cladistics remains an important tool for understanding the evolution and diversity of life.