A polytomy in a phylogenetic tree occurs when there are more than two branches radiating from a node, indicating that the relationships between those taxa are unresolved. Rotating the branches around a node in a phylogenetic tree that contains a polytomy does not change the evolutionary relationships depicted, as the branches and nodes show how taxa are related, not just the ordering of descendant taxa. Polytomies arise when not enough information is available to determine exactly how groups of organisms split or evolved from their most recent common ancestor.

1. In phlogony tree, if taxa of polytomy rotate around nodes, do they still depict the same
relationship? IL E
Solution
When a phylogenetic tree has more than two branches radiating from a node,it is called a
polytomy.Polytomies arise when the relationships between a group of taxa are unresolved.It is
important to understand that although sister taxa and polytomy do share an ancestor, it does not
mean that the groups of organisms split or evolved from each other.Organisms in two taxa may
have split apart at a specific branch point,but neither taxa gave rise to the other.The branches of a
phylogeny can be rotated around a node without changing evolutionary relationships.If we want
to determine how two or more taxa are related,it is important to look at the nodes and branches in
a tree and not just the ordering of descendant taxa.Sometimes the evolutionary relationships
between taxa cannot be determined.