Clade (sophontology)

Image from Kevin Williams (copyright; used with permission)

An evolutionary branch of mindkind defined by a common ancestral group or a common template that provides distinguishing characteristics for all members of that clade.

Although clades generally share a single origin or a small number of common ancestors (such as an original founding colony or community), it is also usually possible to join a clade by adopting the qualities of that clade in one's genome, physiology, ideology, and so on. Members of a clade generally differ markedly from other clades, in terms of morphotypic, toposophic, cultural, religio-ideologico-memetic, and (if SI:1 or above) dendrotoposophic characteristics.

Quite often there are clades within clades. A biological/physiological clade may also be categorized according to the Linnean hierarchy of domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family genus, species and race, each one being a further monophyletic sub-division of the preceding. More usually, the Linnean system is too unwieldy to use in these contexts.

Source : http://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/4626df95b278a