What This Document Is
This document is a laboratory exercise designed for an upper-division undergraduate course in evolutionary biology, specifically focusing on phylogenetic methods. It centers around the practical application of computational tools used to investigate the historical biogeography of species – essentially, how species distributions have changed over time in relation to their evolutionary history. The lab explores techniques for estimating these historical patterns using phylogenetic trees.
Why This Document Matters
This resource is ideal for students enrolled in courses covering phylogenetics, biogeography, evolutionary biology, or computational biology. It’s particularly valuable for those seeking hands-on experience with leading software packages used by researchers in these fields. It’s best utilized during a lab session or as a supplemental resource to lectures on biogeographic reconstruction and phylogenetic analysis. Students preparing for research projects involving species distribution modeling or historical biogeography will find this a useful starting point.
Topics Covered
* Maximum Likelihood Estimation in a phylogenetic context
* Biogeographic reconstruction methods
* Utilizing phylogenetic trees to infer ancestral distributions
* Software installation and troubleshooting for scientific computing tools
* Comparative analysis of different biogeographic inference programs
* Challenges and considerations in using academic software
What This Document Provides
* Guidance on setting up and running specific biogeographic analysis programs.
* An overview of the challenges associated with installing and using academic software.
* Strategies for overcoming common software installation hurdles.
* A framework for evaluating the feasibility of using these programs for research.
* A structured lab exercise designed to build practical skills in phylogenetic biogeography.
* Information on accessing necessary lab files and resources.
