Charles Darwin wrote that a pattern of evolution is similar to a tree

Charles Darwin wrote that a pattern of evolution is similar to a tree, as it branches out in various directions with the elements nearby each other in the tree being those more alike than those far apart. According to the text “one species giving rise first to two or three varieties, these being slowly converted into species, which in their turn produce by equally slow steps other species, and so on, like the branching of a great tree from a single stem, till the group becomes large” (Freeman and Herron 47). Meanwhile, this pattern of development is evident in successful species resulting in speciation and variables or an entire new species. The branch of the tree is evident in the evolution of the real world as species diversify in this manner while exploiting various ecological opportunities. Divergent species diverge and continue their unique pattern of development; they do not remerge to generate what would effectively be a network. This is another reason why the analogy of a tree works best to describe the patterns of evolution.