▁at ▁least ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁ph y log eny ▁for ▁the ▁evolution ary ▁relationships ▁of ▁species ▁through ▁time ▁was ▁co ined ▁by ▁Ernst ▁H ae ck el , ▁who ▁ ▁went ▁further ▁than ▁Dar win ▁in ▁propos ing ▁ph y log en ic ▁histor ies ▁of ▁life . ▁In ▁contemporary ▁usage , ▁tree ▁of ▁life ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁compilation ▁of ▁compreh ensive ▁ph y log en etic ▁databases ▁root ed ▁at ▁the ▁last ▁universal ▁common ▁ancest or ▁of ▁life ▁on ▁Earth . ▁The ▁Open ▁Tree ▁of ▁Life , ▁first ▁published ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁is ▁a ▁project ▁to ▁compile ▁such ▁a ▁database ▁for ▁free ▁public ▁access . ▁ ▁Early ▁ph y log en etic ▁trees ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁mut ability ▁of ▁species ▁may ▁have ▁appeared ▁in ▁paint ings ▁and ▁trees ▁have ▁been ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁met ap hor ▁for ▁other ▁purposes ▁( P orph y rian ▁tree ) ▁earlier ▁than ▁ 1 8 0 0 , ▁the ▁combination ▁of ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁branch ing ▁evolution ▁and ▁the ▁tree ▁image ▁did ▁not ▁appear ▁before ▁ 1 8 0 0 . ▁The ▁earliest ▁tree ▁of ▁life ▁was ▁published ▁by ▁the ▁French ▁botan ist ▁August in ▁Aug ier ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 1 . ▁It ▁shows ▁the ▁relationships ▁between ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁plant ▁kingdom . ▁ ▁Jean - B apt iste ▁L amar ck ▁( 1 7 4 4 – 1 8 2 9 ) ▁produced ▁the ▁first ▁branch ing ▁tree ▁of ▁animals ▁in