towards a visual query interface for phylogenetic databases
Querying and visualization of phylogenetic databases remain a great challenge due to their complex tree type semi structured nature. Naturally, successful phylogenetic databases such as the Tree of Life database at the University of Arizona are implemented as Web documents in HTML. While Web implementation of such databases facilitate the representation, and in part, visualization of their contents, querying remains an issue. The interoperability of Web-based phylogenetic databases with other similar databases such as TreeBase and RDB which are implemented using traditional database management systems, has not been possible due to the impedance mismatch between the underlying query and data representation framework. In this paper, we present a novel approach to phylogentic database management using existing database technologies without compromising potential opportunities for visualization and interoperability. We present a Web-based tool for the creation, querying and visualization of phylogenetic databases. We demonstrate the functional capabilities and strengths of our system by recreating the Tree of Life database in our system and performing queries that are not possible in the original Tree of Life database.
visualization queries queries interfaces database challenge complexity tree structure implementation web documentation representation contention interoperability web-based database management systems database management systems data representation paper technologies tool demonstrate functional capabilities  framework  information retrieval relational database query language phylogenies tree and semi structured data query