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Assembling the Tree of LifeDiana Lipscomb

Program Director, Systematic Biology ProgramNational Science Foundation

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Evolutionary theory provides:• Framework for storing and

explaining biological diversity.• Tool for predicting properties of

organisms

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Carolus Linnaeus(Karl von Linné)

Names are handles that convey information

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Now is the Time to Assemble the Tree of Life

New data is becoming available with new imaging methods and Nucleic Acid Sequencing.

Theoretical and Computational methods are now available to tackleThe task of assembling large phylogenetic trees.

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Modern Morphology

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Nucleic Acid

Sequences

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Method of Analysis• Cladistics (e.g.

parsimony)– Evidence for relatedness

comes from characteristics of organisms.

– The most succinct (parsimonious) summary of the data is the best hypothesis of phylogeny.

– Hypotheses are tested by additional characters.

• Statistics (e.g., Maximum Likelihood)– Evidence for relatedness

comes from a model of how evolution works and characteristics of organisms.

– “how likely is this data given a tree and a model?”

– Models are tested by simulation and likelihood ratio tests.

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Core Programs in DEB

• Systematic Biology• Population Biology• Biodiversity Surveys and Inventories• Ecology • Ecosystem Studies• Long-Term Research in Environmental Biology • Long-Term Ecological Research

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NSF- Assembling the Tree of Life

(ATOL)

Phylogeny & predictive classification for life on earth

in 10-15 years

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Funding with Core programs

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Funding with AToL

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The Assembling the Tree of Life (AToL) Program

construct a universal Tree of Life for all 1.7 million named species of living organisms on earth

Deadline: April, 2004Program Announcement: NSF 03-536

capitalize on new computational and genomic technologies

encompass all microbes, fungi, protists, animals and plants

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Two Types of Proposals

• Taxon Based– Address complex

phylogenetic problems for a major taxon that have been resistant to solution using past approaches

– Tree-building method not specified

– Management plan

• Analytical or Phyloinformatics– Data analysis– Data acquisition– Data sharing– Data storage

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BIO Homepage - http://www.nsf/bio

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2002 AToL Awards: 7 Projects Funded

www.nsf.gov/bio/pubs/awards• Bacteria • Non-seed Plants• Fungi• Nematodes• Spiders and Scorpions• Birds• Dinosaurs

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All of the information is available on the

NSF homepage:

http://www.nsf.gov