Statistical Inference under Isolation-with-Migration Models

提案0949561：隔离-迁移模型下的统计推断本研究将开发新的方法来理解新物种是如何产生的。当相关种群彼此分化，在成为独立物种的过程中，进化的力量在这些种群的遗传变异模式上留下了印记。为了重建分化过程的历史，从自然种群中收集遗传数据，然后结合种群遗传理论进行统计分析。这些推断的准确性主要取决于数据分析中使用的计算机程序。本研究的目标是通过开发方法来确定这些方法提供的最佳结论是否与数据很好地匹配，从而改进现有的分析程序。此外，现有的方法也将得到扩展，以更好地解决有关自然选择的问题，并包括经历过重组历史的基因。这项研究将极大地提高科学家的能力。能够理解不同的物种是如何形成的。该项目将直接资助一名博士后科学家和一名研究生。此外，每学期将有几名本科生参与该项目。这项研究的结果将包括改进的方法和工具（即计算机程序），这些程序将在互联网上免费提供给其他科学家下载和使用。

Abstract for proposal 0949561:Statistical Inference under Isolation-with-Migration Models This research will develop new methods to understand how new species arise. As related populations diverge from each other, on the way to becoming separate species, evolutionary forces leave an imprint on the patterns of genetic variation within those populations. To reconstruct the history of the divergence process, genetic data are collected from natural population and then subject to statistical analyses that incorporate population genetic theory. The accuracy of these inferences depends critically on the computer programs that are used in the data analyses. The goal of this research is to improve existing analytical programs by developing methods to determine whether the best conclusions that these methods provide actually are a good fit to the data. Also existing methods will be extended to better address questions about natural selection, and to include genes that have experienced a history of recombination. This research will greatly improve scientists? ability to understand how separate species have come into being. The project will directly support a postdoctoral scientist and a graduate student. In addition several undergraduate students will be involved in the project each semester. The results of the research will include improved methods and tools (i.e. computer programs) and these programs will be freely available on the internet for other scientists to download and to use.