Phylogenetics is a topical and growing area of research. Phylogenies (phylogenetic trees and networks) allow biologists to study and graph evolutionary relationships between different species. These are also used to investigate other evolutionary processes - for example, how languages developed or how different strains of a virus (such as HIV or influenza) are related to each other. This self-contained book addresses the underlying mathematical theory behind the reconstruction and analysis of phylogenies. The theory is grounded in classical concepts from discrete mathematics and probability theory as well as techniques from other branches of mathematics (algebra, topology, differential equations). The biological relevance of the results is highlighted throughout. In Phylogeny: Discrete and Random Processes in Evolution, the author: Supplies proofs of key classical theorems and includes results not covered in existing boosk Emphasizes relevant mathematical results derived over the past 20 years. Provides numerous exercises, examples, and figures.
Mike Steel is a Professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, where he is also Director of the Biomathematics Research Centre. He is an elected fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand and a recipient of the New Zealand Mathematical Society's annual Research Award. His research interests include combinatorics and random processes, and their applications to questions in evolutionary biology and related areas of sciences, specifically phylogenetic theory and methods. Additional research interests include autocatalytic networks in the origin of life, inverting random functions in mathematical statistics, and questions in the philosophy of science concerning causality and information loss. He has published approximately 240 academic papers, co-authored two books on phylogenetics, and served as associate editor of various journals, including the Bulletin of Mathematical Biology and Systematic Biology.
Preface Acknowledgements Commonly Used Symbols Chapter 1: Phylogeny Chapter 2: Basic combinatorics of discrete phylogenies Chapter 3: Tree shape and random discrete phylogenies Chapter 4: Pulling trees apart and putting trees together Chapter 5: Phylogenies based on discrete characters Chapter 6: Continuous phylogenies and distance-based tree reconstruction Chapter 7: Evolution on a tree: Part one Chapter 8: Evolution on a tree: Part two Chapter 9: Evolution of trees Chapter 10: Introduction to phylogenetic networks Bibliography Index.
