PhyML Benchmarks – Comparison of branch support methods on simulated data sets

Comparison of alRT-based and bootstrap branch supports, using 100 simulated DNA alignments.

SH full reportKi2 full reportBootstrap full reportDownload simulated DNA data sets
Download simulated true trees

Comparison of branch supports with simulated data: these graphics show the distribution of supports (vertical axis) using boxes and whisker plots with bounds provided on the right of the corresponding panel. GTR+Γ4: both data generation and analysis (tree inference and branch testing) are performed with the same model. JC69: data are generated with GTR+Γ4, but the analysis is performed using a simple JC69 model; this mimics real data analyses in which the standard substitution models used for estimation inevitably simplify the true evolutionary processes. BP: bootstrap supports; KI2: aLRT with chi-square-based branch supports; SH: aLRT with SH-like branch supports.

Data sets

The benchmark contains 100 simulated data sets of 40 sequences and 500 sites. Data sets have been generated by Seq-Gen along random trees, using GTR model,with parameters estimated from HIV data (Posada and Crandall, 2001): nucleotide frequencies fA = 0.40, fC = 0.20, fG = 0.22, fT = 0.18, four rate categories of gamma shape parameter 0.969, and rates of nucleotide changes r(AC) = 1.72, r(AG) = 5.03, r(AT) = 0.84, r(CG) = 0.91, r(CT) = 7.70, r(GT) = 1; (M. Anisimova and O. Gascuel, 2006).

Programs

  • PhyML 3.0
    PhyML 3.0 is used with: SPR (and NNI) topological moves; 100 bootstrap replicates, aLRT chi-square supports and aLRT SH-like supports; GTR model; 4 discrete gamma rate categories (alpha estimated from the data).

Detailled results (full reports)

We provide here the detailled results of these experiments, plus some others, where the same GTR+G4 data are analyzed with various models, namely GTR+G4, HKY+G4, HKY, JC69+G4 and JC69.
The graphics compare the support distributions for bootstrap (BP), aLRT Ki2 (KI2) and aLRT SH-like (SH) separately for correct and incorrect branches and all experimental conditions.