Phylogenetic signal dissection identifies the root of starfishes.

ABSTRACT: Relationships within the class Asteroidea have remained controversial for almost 100 years and, despite many attempts to resolve this problem using molecular data, no consensus has yet emerged. Using two nuclear genes and a taxon sampling covering the major asteroid clades we show that non-phylogenetic signal created by three factors--Long Branch Attraction, compositional heterogeneity and the use of poorly fitting models of evolution--have confounded accurate estimation of phylogenetic relationships. To overcome the effect of this non-phylogenetic signal we analyse the data using non-homogeneous models, site stripping and the creation of subpartitions aimed to reduce or amplify the systematic error, and calculate Bayes Factor support for a selection of previously suggested topological arr

SUBMITTER: Feuda R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4425436 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature