Diversity Cladogram
Below you will find the evolutionary or phylogenetic groupings of mostly land plants (Embryophytes), and closely related algae (e.g. red algae, green algae). In addition, you will find the relationships of the Bacteria, Archaea, and other eukaryotes, such as Unikonts (e.g. slime molds, fungi) and the SAR supergroup (e.g. diatoms, brown algae, dinoflagellates, water molds). Click on a group to learn about their characteristics, time range, and evolutionary significance.
├Cyanobacteria: nitrogen-fixing, photosynthetic bacteria
├Mollicutes: bacteria without cell walls
├Prochlorophytes: bacteria with chlorophyll b
└ Sulfur bacteria: bacteria that use sulfur for chemosynthesis
├Halophiles: salt-loving archaea
├Methanogens: methane-producing archaea
└ Thermophiles: heat-loving archaea
└Archaeplastida: land plants, green algae, and red algae
├Rhodophyta: red algae
└ Viridiplantae: all green algae and land plants
├Chlorophytes: large clade of green algae, mostly marine
└ Streptophytes: land plants and closely-related green algae
├Charophytes: freshwater green algae, sister to land plants
└ Embryophytes: land plants
├Bryophytes: non-vascular plants
└Tracheophytes*: vascular plants
├Lycophytes*: clubmosses; a clade with microphylls
└Euphyllophytes*: true-leaves (megaphylls)
├Polypodiopsida: ferns and fern-like plants
├Marattiales*: ancient tree ferns
└Spermatophytes: seed plants
└Unikonts: fungi, animals, and choanoflagellates
├Amoebozoa: amoeboid protists
└Opisthokonta: fungi and animals
├Animals: not covered on this website
└ Fungi: fungi, molds, mushrooms, morels, etc.
Above: Tree of life, showing the dominance of Bacteria (top portion of tree), as well as the Archaea and Eukaryotes in the lower right branch. Notice the green branch showing the major eukaryote groups (i.e. Archaeplastida, Chromoalveolata, Opisthokonta, Amboebozoa, and Excavates)