Featured Publications
Optimal Rates for Phylogenetic Inference and Experimental Design in the Era of Genome-Scale Data Sets
Dornburg A, Su Z, Townsend JP. Optimal Rates for Phylogenetic Inference and Experimental Design in the Era of Genome-Scale Data Sets. Systematic Biology 2018, 68: 145-156. PMID: 29939341, DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syy047.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPhylogenetic experimental designOptimal rateExperimental design decisionsGenome-scale data setsTheoretical conditionsSite rate heterogeneityData setsComprehensive theoryAccurate predictionTheoryInferenceExperimental designPhylogenetic problemsOptimalityExistence of charactersPredictionRate heterogeneitySetPhylogenetic inferenceData scrutiny
2017
Chapter One Maximizing Power in Phylogenetics and Phylogenomics: A Perspective Illuminated by Fungal Big Data
Dornburg A, Townsend JP, Wang Z. Chapter One Maximizing Power in Phylogenetics and Phylogenomics: A Perspective Illuminated by Fungal Big Data. Advances In Genetics 2017, 100: 1-47. PMID: 29153398, DOI: 10.1016/bs.adgen.2017.09.007.ChaptersConceptsTree of lifeFungal evolutionary biologyGenomic-scale dataHundreds of lociGenome-scale analysisFungal phylogenomicsFungal treeSpecies delimitationPhenotypic diversificationFirst genomeEvolutionary biologyPhylogenetic treePhylogenetic inferencePhylogenetic analysisEntire genomeTree inferenceReview of considerationsEvolutionary problemsPhylogenomicsGenomeTreesLociCentral roleExperimental designBiodiversity
2016
Future Perspectives and Challenges of Fungal Systematics in the Age of Big Data
Wang Z, Nilsson R, James T, Dai Y, Townsend J. Future Perspectives and Challenges of Fungal Systematics in the Age of Big Data. Fungal Biology 2016, 25-46. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-29137-6_3.ChaptersFungal systematicsMolecular phylogenyEnvironmental DNA surveysHigh-throughput sequencingSequence-based classificationFungal treeFungal evolutionPhylogenetic informativenessFungal genomesIntegrative taxonomyDNA surveysFungal researchEvolutionary biologyPhylogenetic inferenceComparative biologyTaxonomic ranksEcological charactersFungal classificationInformative experimental designGenetic markersMycological researchPhylogenySanger sequencingSystematicsBiology
2015
Utility of characters evolving at diverse rates of evolution to resolve quartet trees with unequal branch lengths: analytical predictions of long-branch effects
Su Z, Townsend JP. Utility of characters evolving at diverse rates of evolution to resolve quartet trees with unequal branch lengths: analytical predictions of long-branch effects. BMC Ecology And Evolution 2015, 15: 86. PMID: 25968460, PMCID: PMC4429678, DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0364-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGeneralized signalCorrect treeAnalytical predictionsNoise analysisDifferent inference methodsBayesian approachLength spaceInference methodsQuartet treesMaximum likelihoodSimulation studyBranch lengthsInferenceModel treePhylogenetic inferenceUtility of charactersAsymmetrical topologyLong-branch effectsConvergenceTopologyPredictionSpaceSignalsEvolution
2014
Phylogenetic informativeness reconciles ray-finned fish molecular divergence times
Dornburg A, Townsend JP, Friedman M, Near TJ. Phylogenetic informativeness reconciles ray-finned fish molecular divergence times. BMC Ecology And Evolution 2014, 14: 169. PMID: 25103329, PMCID: PMC4236503, DOI: 10.1186/s12862-014-0169-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMolecular age estimatesMolecular divergence timesDivergence timesSequence dataMolecular divergence time estimationMitochondrial sequence dataPhylogenetic informativeness profilesDivergence time estimationRay-finned fishesTree of lifeMolecular clock methodsSubstitution rate heterogeneityMolecular clock modelBranch length estimatesPhylogenetic informativenessNuclear sequencesRecent divergenceMolecular clockIndividual genesPhylogenetic inferenceDNA sequence alignmentRate heterogeneityFossil recordSequence alignmentClock methodThe impact of incorporating molecular evolutionary model into predictions of phylogenetic signal and noise
Su Z, Wang Z, López-Giráldez F, Townsend J. The impact of incorporating molecular evolutionary model into predictions of phylogenetic signal and noise. Frontiers In Ecology And Evolution 2014, 2: 11. DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2014.00011.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPhylogenetic inferencePhylogenetic signalRate of evolutionMolecular evolutionary modelsAccurate phylogenetic inferenceFour-taxon treesYeast genus CandidaMolecular evolutionConsensus treeNucleotide substitutionsPrediction of signalsDistribution of signalsEvolutionary modelsModel choiceGenus CandidaUnrealistic modelsCorrect modelInferenceTreesRPB1PhylogenyCladePhylogeneticsRPB2Markov model
2013
Evaluating Phylogenetic Informativeness as a Predictor of Phylogenetic Signal for Metazoan, Fungal, and Mammalian Phylogenomic Data Sets
López-Giráldez F, Moeller AH, Townsend JP. Evaluating Phylogenetic Informativeness as a Predictor of Phylogenetic Signal for Metazoan, Fungal, and Mammalian Phylogenomic Data Sets. BioMed Research International 2013, 2013: 621604. PMID: 23878813, PMCID: PMC3708382, DOI: 10.1155/2013/621604.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPhylogenomic data setsPhylogenetic informativenessPhylogenetic signalEffects of homoplasyPoor phylogenetic resolutionPhylogenetic resolutionSister cladeOutgroup taxaPhylogenetic researchTaxonomic groupsPhylogenetic inferenceAdvantageous genesGenesMetazoansCladeTaxaDiverse groupDiverse time scalesHomoplasyHaphazard samplingMammalsFungiOrganismsFungalMarkers