  Branching in vascular networks and in overall organismic form is one of the
most common and ancient features of multicellular plants, fungi, and animals.
By combining machine-learning techniques with new theory that relates vascular
form to metabolic function, we enable novel classification of diverse branching
networks--mouse lung, human head and torso, angiosperm and gymnosperm plants.
We find that ratios of limb radii--which dictate essential biologic functions
related to resource transport and supply--are best at distinguishing branching
networks. We also show how variation in vascular and branching geometry
persists despite observing a convergent relationship across organisms for how
metabolic rate depends on body mass.
