W28: Intro to Phylogenetics

Phylogenetics – the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of a the variety of species known to us, is among the most fundamental and traditional tasks in Biology. With the dramatic developments in molecular biology and the exponential growth in annotated genetic sequences, novel directions and goals have been developed in this seemingly stagnant field. Phylogenetic analysis is now an integral part not only in traditional areas like Evolution, Zoology, or Ecology, but also in immunology, medicine, and other disciplines.

In this workshop, I will review the scientific basis behind the various approaches in phylogenesis, in particular statistical/quantitative approaches that became standard in any modern molecular biology research. A chapter dedicated to the COVID-19 pandemic will be included.