The branching points of the cladogram may be regarded either as an ancestral species (as in an evolutionary tree) or solely as representing shared characteristics.
Microraptor belongs to the clan of dinosaurs that includes Deinonychus, and it's close to the branching point that leads to birds, which means it might represent the body plan of the common ancestor from which both lines evolved.
形象化的进化树上，每
的距离都是由它们共有的特性来决定的。
属于包括
接
鸟类的分支点，这意味
能代表了这两个谱系进化而来的共同祖先的身体结构。
