Basal (phylogenetics)

In phylogenetics, basal members of a group diverged earlier than a subgroup of others (or vice versa). It is often used in opposition to the word derived. The following are example usages of the term basal:....

• The palaeodicots are basal flowering plants, diverging before the main split between the monocots and eudicots.
• Orangutans are the most basal of the great apes, having diverged from the line earliest.

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Many biologists (especially those that use cladistics) now prefer to use "basal" instead of the word "primitive," which may imply inferiority. On the contrary, if a basal member of a group exists alongside derived members, it has had more time to evolve and is often equally well-suited to its environment.