OptM: estimating the optimal number of migration edges on population trees using Treemix.

ABSTRACT: The software Treemix has become extensively used to estimate the number of migration events, or edges (m), on population trees from genome-wide allele frequency data. However, the appropriate number of edges to include remains unclear. Here, I show that an optimal value of m can be inferred from the second-order rate of change in likelihood (Δm) across incremental values of m. Repurposed from its original use to estimate the number of population clusters in the software Structure (ΔK), I show using simulated populations that Δm performs equally as well as current recommendations for Treemix. A demonstration of an empirical dataset from domestic dogs indicates that this method may be preferable in large, complex population histo

SUBMITTER: Fitak RR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8476930 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature