To better understand the relationships among insects and other organisms, scientists compare the similarities and differences in morphological and molecular traits of different species. These similarities and differences of the traits determine the branching patterns of the evolutionary tree or phylogeny. Museum collections are extremely useful for making comparisons among organisms.

The video is jointly produced by Cornell University's Naturalist Outreach Program and Ithaca College's Park Productions, with financial support from Cornell Cooperative Extension/ NYS 4H Program and NSFDOE. See other Naturalist Outreach STEM videos about biodiversity and understanding nature. Check out the new nature music composed especially for our credits!