Thread: WHy is it important to consider only homologous characters in reconstructing phylogenetic trees?

WHy is it important to consider only homologous characters in reconstructing phylogenetic trees? Thank You.

Because analogous traits have no relation to each other, they are simply traits that 2 different species have evolved due to similar selective pressures. For instance, a sea urchin vs. a cactus, they both share this spiky spine trait, however they do not share a common ancestor, we cannot build a phylogenetic tree with this information.

We can with homologous traits because they are derived from a common ancestor.