JSM 2004 - Toronto

Abstract #302137

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Activity Number: 104
Type: Topic Contributed
Date/Time: Monday, August 9, 2004 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
Sponsor: Biometrics Section
Abstract - #302137
Title: Revealing Uncertainty in Phylogenetic Trees
Author(s): Edward M. Johnston*+
Companies: Consultant
Address: 274 Clarendon St. #5, Boston, MA, 02116,
Keywords: phylogenetic trees ; bioinformatics ; graphics ; evolution
Abstract:

Algorithms are widely available for creating phylogenetic trees. In many cases the available data are compatible with more than one tree, and there is no method of presenting this range of solutions that meets with complete satisfaction. Authors may start from the same data but arrive at different trees, so the question of objectivity may arise. Tree development is a hard problem with parallels in other areas of statistics. For example, when a statistician fits a linear model to a set of data, there is usually an opportunity to measure the success of the fit, and present it to the reader either numerically or by showing confidence limits in a diagram. Edward Tufte has proposed that diagrams should be information-rich and give readers the chance to judge the phenomena for themselves. He has observed that phylogenetic trees do not clearly separate evidence and assumptions. This paper attempts to satisfy Tufte with an improved tree diagram that allows the reader to assess the fit between hypothesis and reality.

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