ABSTRACT
We review phylogenetic inference methods with a special emphasis on inference from molecular data. We begin with a general comment on phylogenetic inference using DNA sequences, followed by a clear statement of the relevance of a good alignment of sequences. Then we provide a general description of models of sequence evolution, including evolutionary models that account for rate heterogeneity along the DNA sequences or complex secondary structure (i.e., ribosomal genes). We then present an overall description of the most relevant inference methods, focusing on key concepts of general interest. We point out the most relevant traits of methods such as maximum parsimony (MP), distance methods, maximum likelihood (ML), and Bayesian inference (BI). Finally, we discuss different measures of support for the estimated phylogeny and discuss how this relates to confidence in particular nodes of a phylogeny reconstruction.
