What is molecular taxonomy?

1 Answer
Jan 23, 2017

Molecular taxonomy is the classification of organisms on the basis of the distribution and composition of chemical substances in them.

Explanation:

Molecular genetic methods provide taxonomy with a powerful tool to identify or describe species, as they apply to all organisms and offer quantifiable characters.
Molecular taxonomy is particularly effective in combination with other methods, usually with morphology.

The advent of DNA cloning and sequencing methods have contributed immensely to the development of molecular taxonomy and population genetics over the last two decades. These modern methods have revolutionalised the field of molecular taxonomy and population genetics with improved analytical power and precision.