Abstract
In this article, we provide an overview of maximum likelihood methods for phylogenetic inference. A brief introduction to general maximum likelihood estimation is provided. We define a phylogenetic likelihood, summarize how to compute this likelihood, and then discuss approaches used to maximize the phylogenetic likelihood function. We discuss a property of the maximum likelihood estimation, called consistency, that states that the maximum likelihood phylogeny will converge to the true phylogenetic tree with as more and more data are added to the analysis. We describe the bootstrap, a popular technique used to characterize the uncertainty in parameter estimates, and then outline its use in phylogenetic maximum likelihood estimation. A short example is given to illustrate the use of phylogenetic maximum likelihood techniques on a real dataset of primate mitochondrial DNA sequences.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.