Computational Phylogenetics

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Computational Phylogenetics

The research activities of our group cover a variety of topics that all center around theoretical and applied aspects of phylogenetics.

We are particularly interested in a wide range of questions that include

  1. to build very large phylogenetic trees
  2. to estimate the mode and tempo of species evolution
  3. to study ecological niche evolution and adaptation
  4. to develop evolutionary models of phenotypic and molecular character evolution
Our research group has a strong emphasis on computational and mathematical approaches, mixed with field sampling and molecular sequencing. This provides an interesting inter-disciplinary environment strengthen by strong international collaborations.
 big_tree

 

    We work on diverse groups of plants including grasses, eriogonoids, restios and other angiosperms. We do, however, use also animal clades depending on the biological question investigated.

    chloris_verticillata eriogonum_heracleoides restio aster_alpinum Salamin_fig1_c barn_owl

     

    All members are jointly part of the Department of Ecology and Evolution of the University of Lausanne and of the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics.

    Please visit the pages of the different members to have a better view of our research.


    University of Lausanne                                                      Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics

     

    Selected publications

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    Litsiso G., Salamin N., 2012. Effects of Phylogenetic Signal on Ancestral State Reconstruction. Systematic Biology. In press. [DOI]
    Christin P.-A., Besnard G., Edwards E.J., Salamin N. 2012. Effect of genetic convergence on phylogenetic inference. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 62(3), 921-927. [DOI]
    Pio D.V., Broennimann O., Barraclough T.G., Reeves G., Rebelo A.G., Thuiller W., Guisan A., Salamin N., 2011. Spatial predictions of phylogenetic diversity in conservation decision making. Conservation Biology 25(6), 1229-1239. [DOI]
    Salamin N, Wüest RO, Lavergne S, Thuiller W, Pearman PB, 2010. Assessing rapid evolution in a changing environment. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 25(12), 692-698. [DOI]
    Edwards E.J., Osborne C.P., Strömberg C.A., Smith S.A., Bond W.J., Christin P.A., Cousins A.B., Duvall M.R., Fox D.L., Freckleton R.P., Ghannoum O., Hartwell J., Huang Y., Janis C.M., Keeley J.E., Kellogg E.A., Knapp A.K., Leakey A.D., Nelson D.M., Saarela J.M., Sage R.F., Sala O.E., Salamin N., Still C.J., Tipple B., 2010. The origins of C4 grasslands: integrating evolutionary and ecosystem science. Science 328(5978), 587-591. [DOI] [Pubmed]
    Roulin A., Salamin N., 2010. Insularity and the evolution of melanism, sexual dichromatism and body size in the worldwide-distributed barn owl. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 23(5), 925-934. [DOI] [Pubmed]
    Christin P.A., Besnard G., Samaritani E., Duvall M.R., Hodkinson T.R., Savolainen V., Salamin N., 2008. Oligocene CO2 decline promoted C4 photosynthesis in grasses. Current Biology 18(1), 37-43. [DOI] [Pubmed]
    Strauss S.Y., Webb C.O., Salamin N., 04-2006. Exotic taxa less related to native species are more invasive. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 103(15), 5841-5845. [DOI] [Pubmed]
    Last Updated on Thursday, 02 February 2012 09:53
     

    Lab News

    Tim Barraclough
    Wed Apr 18, 2012 @12:15 - 01:00PM
    Tim Barraclough will give the DEE seminar. Title will come shortly.
    amphitheatre Biophore
    paper accepted
    Tue Feb 07, 2012
    Witsenburg et al. "The evolutionary host switches of Polychromophilus: a multi-gene phylogeny of this bat malaria genus suggests a second invasion of mammals by a haemosporidian parasite". Malaria Journal.
    phylo lab
    paper accepted
    Thu Feb 02, 2012
    Schabauer et al. SlimCodeML: An Optimized Version of CodeML for the Branch-Site Model. HiCOMB'12
    phylo lab
    Paper accepted
    Thu Jan 19, 2012 @08:00 - 05:00PM
    Naciri et al. Plant DNA barcodes and the influence of gene flow. Mol Ecol Res. In press
    phylo lab
    PhD positions filled
    Sun Jan 01, 2012
    The two PhD positions that were available in our group have now been filled.

    If you are interested in joining our group as a PhD or postdoc, please check regularly this page or contact me directly.
    phylo lab
    Paper published
    Thu Dec 01, 2011
    Pio et al. Spatial predictions of phylogenetic diversity in conservation decision making. Cons. Biol. 25(6): 1229-1239. [doi]
    phylo lab
    SSS Day
    Fri Nov 18, 2011
    Annual meeting of the Swiss Systematics Society.
    Natural History Museum, Bern
    Paper published
    Thu Nov 10, 2011
    Christin et al. Effect of Genetic Convergence on Phylogenetic Inference. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. DOI
    phylo lab

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