Consider the case of
HIV/AIDS, where phylogenies
have been used to identify the
source of the virus, to date the
onset of the epidemic, to detect
viral recombination, to track viral
evolution within a patient, and to
identify modes of potential transmission
(2). Phylogenetic analysis
was even used to solve a murder
case involving HIV (3). Yet “tree
thinking” remains widely practiced
only by professional evolutionary
biologists. This is a particular
cause for concern at a time
when the teaching of evolution is
being challenged, because evolutionary
trees serve not only as tools for biological
researchers across disciplines but also as
the main framework within which evidence
for evolution is evaluated (4, 5).
At the outset, it is important to clarify
that tree thinking does not necessarily
entail knowing how phylogenies are
interpret
trees and use them for organizing
knowledge of biodiversity without knowing
the details of phylogenetic inference.
The reverse is, however, not true. One cannot
really understand phylogenetics if one
is not clear what an evolutionary tree is.
The preferred interpretation of a phylogenetic
tree is as a depiction of lines of
descent. That is, trees communicate the
evolutionary relationships among elements,
such as genes or species, that connect
a sample of branch tips. Under this
interpretation, the nodes (branching points
Consider the case ofHIV/AIDS, where phylogenieshave been used to identify thesource of the virus, to date theonset of the epidemic, to detectviral recombination, to track viralevolution within a patient, and toidentify modes of potential transmission(2). Phylogenetic analysiswas even used to solve a murdercase involving HIV (3). Yet “treethinking” remains widely practicedonly by professional evolutionarybiologists. This is a particularcause for concern at a timewhen the teaching of evolution isbeing challenged, because evolutionarytrees serve not only as tools for biologicalresearchers across disciplines but also asthe main framework within which evidencefor evolution is evaluated (4, 5).At the outset, it is important to clarifythat tree thinking does not necessarilyentail knowing how phylogenies areinterprettrees and use them for organizingknowledge of biodiversity without knowingthe details of phylogenetic inference.The reverse is, however, not true. One cannotreally understand phylogenetics if oneis not clear what an evolutionary tree is.The preferred interpretation of a phylogenetictree is as a depiction of lines ofdescent. That is, trees communicate theevolutionary relationships among elements,such as genes or species, that connecta sample of branch tips. Under thisinterpretation, the nodes (branching points
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