Comparative biology

Comparative biology is the study of patterns and natural variation in life at all levels, from genes to communities. Comparative biologists take a cross-lineage approach in examining areas such as anatomy. physiology, genomics, developmental biology, bioinformatics, systematics, and biogeography. Comparative evidence from various discplines may be used to interpret the biological relationships between organisms, as represented by pedigree charts, phylogenetic trees, or cladograms, which in turn helps differentiate features with single origins (homology) from those with multiple origins (homoplasy). On a molecular level, comparative studies often focus on identifying conserved sequences which characterise the functional elements of genes or proteins, though differences may be examined to develop models of evolutionary history or characterise species-specific adaptations. The comparative approach has shaped understandings of the evolution and natural history of populations, species, and higher taxa, and has contributed to the development of evolutionary biology, neontology, paleontology, anthropology, ethology, ecology and many other areas of the biological sciences. Comparative biology also has numerous applications in human health, genetics, biomedicine, and conservation biology.