TEA Talk - Beyond the tree: phylogenetic comparative methods for evolutionary inference of phenotypic data
Date and time
Location
Ecology & Evolution Seminar Room
Gould Building 116 Daley Road ANU, ACT 2601 AustraliaDescription
TEA (Techniques in Evolutionary Analysis) Talks
Hosted by the Centre for Biodiversity Analysis, 'TEA Talks' are a series of short workshops that introduce a range of current methods and analytical approaches in phylogenetics, bioinformatics and macroevolution.
Beyond the tree: phylogenetic comparative methods for evolutionary inference of phenotypic data
Emma Sherratt & Ian Brennan
“Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution” was famously said by Theodosius Dobzhansky. And equivocally, phenotypic variation among species can only be interpreted in light of a phylogenetic framework.
This is a very active field of method development and implementation; journals such as Evolution, American Naturalist and Systematic Biology are built upon this framework. As with all active fields with (often) conflicting or controversial new methods, it can be daunting to navigate without assistance.
Therefore, in this talk “Beyond the tree”, we offer a beginner’s guide, introducing the methods and theory behind mapping phenotypic traits onto phylogenetic trees and statistical analyses of species data (known as phylogenetic comparative methods, PCM).
We will begin by talking about best practices for collecting data for PCM. Then we will use published examples of hypotheses and questions regarding phenotypic trait evolution to demonstrate the current available methods – including reference to implementation with packages in the R statistical framework. Starting with the simplest model of evolution, Brownian Motion (BM), and then progressing to advanced methods that go beyond BM. Finally, we will discuss what the future holds for these approaches.
People from all academic backgrounds and levels are welcome. Registration is free.
Organised by
The Centre for Biodiversity Analysis (CBA) is a collaborative initiative of the ANU, CSIRO and University of Canberra that connects scientists and their research to exploit new and emerging genomic and spatial environmental analysis capabilities in the discovery, understanding and conservation of Australia’s unique biodiversity in the face of accelerating environmental change.