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Bayesian inference of phylogenetic distances: revisiting the eigenvalue approach

Abstract:
Using genetic data to infer evolutionary distances between molecular sequence pairs based on a Markov substitution model is a common procedure in phylogenetics, in particular for selecting a good starting tree to improve upon. Many evolutionary patterns can be accurately modelled using substitution models that are available in closed form, including the popular general time reversible model (GTR) for DNA data. For more complex biological phenomena, such as variations in lineage-specific evolutionary rates over time (heterotachy), other approaches such as the GTR with rate variation (GTR +Γ ) are required, but do not admit analytical solutions and do not automatically allow for likelihood calculations crucial for Bayesian analysis. In this paper, we derive a hybrid approach between these two methods, incorporating Γ(α,α) -distributed rate variation and heterotachy into a hierarchical Bayesian GTR-style framework. Our approach is differentiable and amenable to both stochastic gradient descent for optimisation and Hamiltonian Markov chain Monte Carlo for Bayesian inference. We show the utility of our approach by studying hypotheses regarding the origins of the eukaryotic cell within the context of a universal tree of life and find evidence for a two-domain theory.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1007/s11538-024-01403-z

Authors

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Statistics
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0001-8682-5393
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Statistics
Oxford college:
St Peter's College
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-0195-2463


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Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/0439y7842
Grant:
DTP Studentship (University of Oxford)


Publisher:
Springer Nature
Journal:
Bulletin of Mathematical Biology More from this journal
Volume:
87
Issue:
2
Article number:
32
Place of publication:
United States
Publication date:
2025-01-23
Acceptance date:
2024-12-13
DOI:
EISSN:
1522-9602
ISSN:
0092-8240
Pmid:
39847307


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
2080309
Local pid:
pubs:2080309
Deposit date:
2025-02-01
ARK identifier:

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