Analysis of phylogenomic tree space resolves relationships among marsupial families

Abstract

Fundamental challenge in resolving evolutionary relationships across the tree of life is to account for heterogeneity in the evolutionary signal across loci. Studies of marsupial mammals have demonstrated that this heterogeneity can be substantial, leaving considerable uncertainty in the evolutionary timescale and relationships within the group. Using simulations and a new phylogenomic data set comprising nucleotide sequences of 1550 loci from 18 of the 22 extant marsupial families, we demonstrate the power of a method for identifying clusters of loci that support different phylogenetic trees.We find two distinct clusters of loci, each providing an estimate of the species tree that matches p..