Workshop

Phylogenetic Comparative Methods

With Natalie Cooper

In this workshop we will use phylogenetic comparative methods (PCMs) to fit macroevolutionary models to discrete trait data. We will use R to read in phylogenies and trait data, display trait data on phylogenies, estimate ancestral states of discrete traits, and determine the best fitting model of evolution. We will also discuss the limitations of these methods.

Requirements: a laptop (you could share with a partner) with R *and* RStudio Desktop installed. The workshop will be easier if you’ve used R before, but you will be able to work through the exercises without needing much experience with R as I will provide all the code. Note, however, that although beginners are welcome, the aim of this workshop is not to teach basic R skills.

For people that attended PalAss 2019: I will be covering similar material to the second half of the workshop run at PalAss 2019 by Juan Cantalapiedra. If you attended this and found it easy you might not learn many new things. If you got a bit lost then this workshop should help! 

The workshop is now fully booked