Oral Presentation Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution Conference 2016

What is new in BEAST (#159)

Remco Bouckaert 1
  1. University of Auckland, Auckland

Bayesian phylogenomic methods advance at a rapid pace, and this talk will be a whirlwind tour of the latest developments in BEAST and its packages. In particular, we will have a look at 

o bModelTest, a Bayesian approach to dealing with site models,

o multi gamma site models for dealing with heterotachy.

o the fossil birth death model and CladeAge, two new ways for dealing with fossils calibrations.

o spherical phylogeography, which allows whole world analysis with somewhat inhomogeneous diffusion so that landscape features can be taken in account.

o various ways to do species delimitation, including STACEY, BFD (for *BEAST) and BFD* (for SNAPP).

o structured coalescent and approximations, allowing larger number of demes.

o ARG trees for bacterial data through BACTER.

We will have a look at computational advances, making BEAST faster than before. If you have any further questions or problems with BEAST, you can visit me at the `BEAST clinic' in the trade area.