Description

Day 3 focused on Construction of Phylogenetic Trees from Molecular Data and Tree Interpretation. The session introduced the concept of phylogeny the evolutionary history and relationships among organisms represented through phylogenetic trees. Participants learned about the main computational approaches used in tree construction, including distance-based methods such as UPGMA and Neighbor Joining, and character-based methods like Maximum Parsimony, Maximum Likelihood, and Bayesian Inference. Practical exercises were conducted using MEGA, MAFFT, and the CIPRES web portal to build and analyze both single-gene and multi-gene phylogenetic trees. The session also covered tree interpretation, explaining elements such as branches, nodes, clades, and sister groups, along with different evolutionary group types and the concept of polytomy. Collaborations: IEEE EMBS Sri Lanka Chapter - Official Technical Partner