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Updated: Mar 13, 2026

A Practical Guide to Phylogenetics for Nonexperts
Published on: February 5, 2014
Molecular Phylogenetics: Concepts for a Newcomer
1Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, 272 Rama VI, Rachathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand. pravech.aja@mahidol.ac.th.
Abstract:
Molecular phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary relationships among organisms using molecular sequence data. The aim of this review is to introduce the important terminology and general concepts of tree reconstruction to biologists who lack a strong background in the field of molecular evolution. Some modern phylogenetic programs are easy to use because of their user-friendly interfaces, but understanding the phylogenetic algorithms and substitution models, which are based on advanced statistics, is still important for the analysis and interpretation without a guide. Briefly, there are five general steps in carrying out a phylogenetic analysis: (1) sequence data preparation, (2) sequence alignment, (3) choosing a phylogenetic reconstruction method, (4) identification of the best tree, and (5) evaluating the tree. Concepts in this review enable biologists to grasp the basic ideas behind phylogenetic analysis and also help provide a sound basis for discussions with expert phylogeneticists.
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