phenetic
/fɪˈnɛtɪk/
adjective
- Relating to a method of classifying organisms based on overall similarity of observable traits, without considering evolutionary history.
- Some scientists argue that phenetic methods are less accurate than those based on genetic data.
- Phenetic classification can be useful for identifying unknown species quickly.
- The biologists used a phenetic approach to group the plants by their leaf shapes and flower colors.
Antonyms