On a branching diagram (such as a phylogenetic tree or cladogram), existing species are placed at the tips (ends) of the branches , not along the branches or at the nodes.

Where existing species go

  • Each tip of the tree represents a terminal taxon , which can be a living (extant) species or a group of living species.
  • The nodes (branching points) represent inferred common ancestors or speciation events, not currently living organisms.

Why tips make sense

  • As lineages evolve, new branches split off from ancestors; the shortest, outermost branches correspond to the most recently evolved lineages that still exist today.
  • This layout mirrors evolutionary history: older splits are closer to the root, and modern species sit at the outer edges, showing how they are related through shared ancestry.

In short: existing species belong at the very ends of the branches on a branching diagram.