In a diagram of the three domains of life, where would Archaea be positioned?

Archaea would be positioned branching off from Eukarya in diagrams illustrating the three domains of life. This placement reflects the evolutionary relationships among the three domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.

Molecular and genetic evidence has shown that Archaea and Eukarya share more similarities with each other than either does with Bacteria. This indicates that Archaea and Eukarya diverged from a common ancestor more recently than they diverged from Bacteria. Hence, in phylogenetic trees, Archaea typically lies closer to Eukarya rather than being adjacent to or separate from it. The branching shows that Archaea and Eukarya are distinct lineages within a greater evolutionary context, illuminating the significant molecular distinctions that relate them more closely than to Bacteria. This distinction is crucial for understanding the classification and evolutionary history of these domains of life.