Biology textbooks have been frequently used as the only content resource, characterized by a fragmentary organization. This research aimed to analyze the insertion of the topic "Phylogeny" in textbooks, searching for conceptual distortions and approaches that endanger the understanding of the subject. The sample consisted of high school textbooks, whose analysis was based on criteria proposed in the literature and in national official documents. We analyzed 13 collections, using the following criteria: theoretical content; visual resources; and the proposal of activities and resources for teachers and students. Eight books presented the topic with varied levels of depth and clarity. Common conceptual inaccuracies included confusion between "Taxonomy" and "Systematics", equivalence between "evolution" and "progress" and the concept of evolution as a linear sequence of modifications in a directional process. Such distortions are aggravated by the scarcity of activities for students and resources for teachers on the subject.
Biological education; evolution; teaching manual.