Comparative biochemical data are sometimes useful for estimating the ages of different lineages on a phylogenetic tree.

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Comparative biochemical data, such as DNA sequence or amino acid sequence, can be used to estimate the evolutionary relationships among different taxa and their divergence times. The molecular clock hypothesis proposes that molecular changes accumulate over time at a relatively constant rate, providing a means to estimate the time since two species diverged from a common ancestor. However, the accuracy of molecular dating depends on a number of factors, such as the choice of molecular markers, the calibration points, and the rate variation among lineages.

Comparative Biochemical Data Are Sometimes Useful for Estimating the Ages