SalamandersAllan Larson, David Wake, and Tom Devitt This tree
diagram shows the relationships between several groups of
organisms. The root of the current tree connects the organisms
featured in this tree to their containing group and the rest of
the Tree of Life. The basal branching point in the tree
represents the ancestor of the other groups in the tree. This
ancestor diversified over time into several descendent
subgroups, which are represented as internal nodes and terminal
taxa to the right. You can click on the root to travel down the
Tree of Life all the way to the root of all Life, and you can
click on the names of descendent subgroups to travel up the Tree
of Life all the way to individual species.close box Phylogenetic
relationships of salamanders based on combined molecular and
morphological data (Wiens et al., 2005). Relationships of four
extinct families (Batrachosauroididae, Karauridae, Prosirenidae
and Scapherpetontidae) are unknown because fossil remains are
not sufficient for a confident phy