Department Seminars

General Information

When: Thursdays from 4:00–4:50 p.m.
Where: 1170 TMCB

Keith Crandall
Brigham Young University
Department of Biology

2007-12-06

Phylogenetics and the Tree of Life

When gene genealogies from within species or across species are coupled with statistical and computational tools, they make power inferences and predictions about both past and future evolutionary events and processes. In this talk, we will explore through examples from crabs to HIV the diverse tools that are available for articulating the Tree of Life and making inferences of population and species diversity over time (both recent and geologic). Along the way, we will identify areas where future research is needed to develop better statistical approaches and more powerful computational approaches to address questions in population genetics and evolutionary biology.