Course "THE USE OF PHYLOGENIES IN THE STUDY OF MACROEVOLUTION - 3rd edition"

April 3, 2015
Dates: September 28-October 2, 2015.

Instructor: Dr. Juan López Cantalapiedra (Museo de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Spain).

SVP members will get a 20 % discount on the fee!

New phylogenetic methods would allow us to draw on the information encapsulated in phylogenetic trees in order to address a wide range of questions on macroevolution. First, this course will introduce participants to the use, modification and representation of phylogenetic trees. Then, we will focus on the use of phylogenetic information to reconstruct ancestral characters and biogeographic histories, learning how to apply phylogenetic comparative methods. This course will also tackle trait evolution modelling and the assessment of phylogenetic signal. Finally, we will learn about the shape of phylogenetic trees and its evolutionary causes and how to estimate the rates of diversification throughout the evolutionary history of groups. Participants are encouraged to bring their data sets to use in the practical class.

Important note: Please bear in mind that this course is not about reconstructing (building) phylogenetic trees.

Software: Mesquite, TreeEdit, FigTree, BayesTraits (using BayesTraits Wrapper in R), Tracer, RASP and R (ape, TreeSim, TreePar, Geiger, OUwie, BioGeoBEARS).

Place: Facilities of the CRIP at Els Hostalets de Pierola, Barcelona (Spain).

Organized by: Transmitting Science, the Centre de Restauració i Interpretació Paleontologica and the Institut Catalá de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont.

For further information:
http://www.transmittingscience.org/courses/evol/phylogeny-and-macroevolution/
or writing to courses@transmittingscience.org