Utilizing likelihood models for phylogenetic reconstruction from discrete phenotypic characters

目前，从形态学数据估计系统发育树的方法主要有两种。在本研究中，研究人员将模拟形态学数据，并使用这些数据来测试这些方法的有效性。使用模拟数据的优点是能够操纵相关参数来创建与许多不同类型的研究人员和科学问题相关的数据集。该项目的目标有两个：为从形态学数据估计系统发育树的最佳实践提供实用的建议和指南，并了解各种估计系统发育树的方法的优缺点。估计系统发育树是了解不同生物群体之间关系的常用方法。这些树可以用来理解特征的进化，测试生物地理学的假设，或推断生物进化和生态的其他方面。化石是科学家可以直接观察灭绝已久的生物的唯一途径，这使得研究化石数据成为一项相关的实践，即使DNA测序的价格下降了。这个项目的结果可以用来告诉科学家关于从化石遗骸中推断系统发育关系的适当方法。

Presently, there are two major methods for estimating phylogenetic trees from morphological data. In this study, researchers will simulate morphological data and use these data to to test the effectiveness of these methods. A strength of using simulated data is the ability to manipulate relevant parameters to create data sets that are relevant to many different types of researchers and scientific questions. The goals of this project are twofold: to provide practical recommendations and guidelines for best practices in estimating phylogenetic trees from morphological data and to understand the strengths and weaknesses of various methods for estimating phylogenetic trees.Estimating a phylogenetic tree is a common way to understand the relationships among different groups of organisms. These trees can be used to understand the evolution of a trait, to test hypotheses of biogeography, or to infer other aspects of the evolution and ecology of organisms. Fossils are the only way that scientists can directly observe long-extinct organisms, making the study of fossil data a relevant practice, even as the price of DNA sequencing falls. The results from this project can be used to inform scientists about appropriate methods for inferring phylogenetic relationships from fossilized remains.