[Stultis]

Should have added that the same sort of evolutionary analysis is also helpful when applied within genes. In other words there are often regions within genes that are more, or less, highly conserved. This will tend to indicate what the are most functionally important parts of the resultant protein.

[GourmetDan]

Same issue.

Where biological process are different, the regions within genes are different. Where they are the same, they are consistent.

No need to impose a 'common-descent' structure on the information except to support an 'a priori' commitment to naturalism.