Bayesian methodology in phylogeny, ecology and species comparison

Many issues in evolutionary biology and in ecology involve working with phylogenetic trees (that show how species are related), either in terms of inferring the structure of such trees from molecular and other data, or in terms of using the resulting trees to investigate questions about evolutionary processes (such as extinction and the formation of new species) or about the relation between evolutionary aspects and ecological processes in plant or animal communities. Because the modelling can be computationally complex, because it is often important to take into account data of different types, and because uncertainty about the phylogenetic tree needs to be taken account of in inferences based on the tree, Bayesian methods are become increasingly important.

Kevin McConway leads the research on Bayesian methodology in phylogeny, ecology and species comparison in the school.