Phylogenetic Networks: Concepts, Algorithms and Applications
"Networks - rather than just trees - are fast becoming the essential tool for making sense of the complexities of evolution, and conflicting signal in genomic data. Phylogenetic Networks provides a long-overdue exposition of network-based methods, their possible uses, and details on practical software. A detailed and unified treatment of the many different types of networks is complemented by a crisp synopsis of the underlying theory.  Numerous example and illustrations make the text easy to follow. This book will further transform the way biologists use genomic data to study evolution.  The Tübingen group has led the development of phylogenetic network algorithms, and this book delivers a clear exposition for biologists bewildered by a plethora of recent methods, as well as for bioinformaticians aiming to develop the field further. It is essential reading for any scientist or student seeking to understand how genomic data can be used to represent and study the intricate 'web of life'."Mike Steel, University of Canterbury"This textbook, by one of the leaders of the field (Daniel Huson) and his co-authors, provides a mathematically rigorous introduction to one of the most exciting and beautiful research areas in computational biology: phylogenetic networks. The text is clear and provides all the necessary biology background; it should be accessible to graduate students (or upper-division undergraduates) in mathematics, computer science, or statistics."Tandy Warnow, The University of Texas"This wonderfully accessible book is by far the most thorough and up to date treatment of phylgenetic networks about. Many evolutionary processes in nature do not conform to the simple model of phylogenetic trees; examples are hybridizations, symbioses, and lateral gene transfer. The more we probe nature with genomics, the more significant and numerous these examples become, so there is a real need for using networks in phylogenetics. This volume is a must for researchers working with phylogenetic networks. It is for an advanced college audience. Beautifully organized and clearly written, it really fills a void."Bill Martin, University of Duesseldorf"...a technical monograph that will be of great interest to those working in this field..."Paul Cull, Computing Reviews"What has been lacking until now is a full in-depth treatment of phylogenetic networks as they are currently used in the evolutionary literature. The new book by Huson and coworkers nicely fills this niche. The book is a tour de force of explication, making clear, in some cases for the first time, how phylogenetic networks of various sorts are actually formulated, calculated and interpreted. We have needed a comprehensive review of phylogenetic networks like this for some time now, and the authors are to be congratulated for creating a review that is clearly written and attractively presented."James Whitfield, University of Illinois at Urbana for Systematic Biology"This book is a brave and ambitious attempt to describe the field of phylogenetic networks anno 2010 from a motivated algorithmic perspective. It will deservedly become essential reading for both mathematically inclined researchers already working in the field and those looking for an easy way to enter the field. Part reference text, part introductory text, the book brings into sharp relief what we do - and do not - know about phylogenetic networks and as such will become an important milestone in the development of the field."Steven Kalk, Maastricht University for Systematic Biology"This is an excellent book for readers who know the topic well and also for those who have some knowledge of the area."Idalia Flores, Computing Reviews