Question

Why is it appropriate to compare the process of evolution with branches of a tree rather than with a ladder?

Answer 1

The meaning of the term evolution is the gradual change or development of something. In the context of biology, evolution can be defined as a process by which the organisms have developed from their previous forms.

Complete solution:
The process of evolution can be better compared to branches of a tree rather than a ladder. A ladder represents a vertical and linear process that lacks any kind of deviation. It is something that is moving forward or we can say it is always progressive in nature. But on the other hand, evolution is not something that can occur in a linear fashion.
It is more like having a common ancestor and its descendants. This cycle then deviates out and gives rise to more descendants. This scenario is similar to the branches of a tree. It cannot be always progressive as certain characters or traits remain absent in organisms.

Note: Phylogenetic trees are hypotheses that have been used to study this evolutionary relationship. It is a tree diagram that consists of stages. New branches evolve from these stages. These tree diagrams reveal a lot of information about evolutionary relationships. In fact, the classification of organisms is also based on some hierarchical system, which itself is a stepwise process. This tree diagram shows how an organism is related to another organism. These trees also enable us to gather information about the evolutionary history of organisms or groups of organisms.