Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 4, 2025

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
Published on: July 11, 2025
On the Comparison of Incompatibility of Split Systems Across Different Numbers of Taxa
Michael Hendriksen1, Nils Kapust2
1Institut für Molekulare Evolution, Heinrich-Heine Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany. michael.hendriksen@hhu.de.
Abstract:
We consider the problem of the minimum number of phylogenetic trees it would take to display all splits in a given set, a problem related to k-compatibility. A set of trees that displays every single possible split is termed a universal tree set. In this note, we find the universal incompatibility U(n), the minimal size of a universal tree set for n taxa. By normalising incompatibility using U(n), one can then compare incompatibility of split systems across different numbers of taxa. We demonstrate this application by comparing two SplitsTree networks derived from archaeal genomes, with different numbers of taxa.
Related Concept Videos
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
Applications of Molecular Taxonomy
Comparing Mitochondrial, Chloroplast, and Prokaryotic Genomes
Modern Molecular Taxonomy
Multi-species Conserved Sequences
Although the genome of each species varies greatly from each other, a few sequences are highly conserved. Such conserved...
The Tree of Life - Bacteria, Archaea, Eukaryotes

