7 replies to this topic

[Bracchymyrmex]

Hello all, I have access to a program where I can compare the genomes of different genera and species. I am quite curious to compare the genomes of the native ants in the Northeast, however, I can't seem to find a common ancestor. If anyone can find the oldest relative of ants in America please let me know the genus and/or species and I will be able to find out which species/genera are the most closely related.

 

Thank you all for your help,

Bracchymyrmex

[Martialis]

Here you go!

Martialis

 

Also, what is this program called?

Edited by Martialis, April 4 2017 - 9:52 AM.

[Subverted]

I think you are starting off from a flawed premise... First off - ants are a very very very old organism with most of the main subfamilies having existed since around the Eocene Epoch. Secondly, I do not believe that there is one single common ancestor of all ants in North America...you would want to work subfamily by subfamily (or even more narrowly).

You are probably looking for something like this page and its citations: http://www.antwiki.o...y_of_Formicidae

Phylogeny is an interesting subject but it is important to be careful not to trust the initial data until you have verified the results. I have heard that getting certain parameters set just so in your algorithms is really more art than science at times.

[Bracchymyrmex]

Here you go!

Martialis

 

Also, what is this program called?

 

It's called Seaview, you can download it for free.

 

 

I think you are starting off from a flawed premise... First off - ants are a very very very old organism with most of the main subfamilies having existed since around the Eocene Epoch. Secondly, I do not believe that there is one single common ancestor of all ants in North America...you would want to work subfamily by subfamily (or even more narrowly).

You are probably looking for something like this page and its citations: http://www.antwiki.o...y_of_Formicidae

Phylogeny is an interesting subject but it is important to be careful not to trust the initial data until you have verified the results. I have heard that getting certain parameters set just so in your algorithms is really more art than science at times.

 

Good point, perhaps I should focus on the relation between two or three species as a opposed to the whole range.

[Subverted]

Good point, perhaps I should focus on the relation between two or three species as a opposed to the whole range.

That sounds like a perfect starter project...maybe eventually you can try doing a whole genus!

[Alabama Anter]

Good point, perhaps I should focus on the relation between two or three species as a opposed to the whole range.

That sounds like a perfect starter project...maybe eventually you can try doing a whole genus!

Yeah good idea. Good luck Brac.

[Antsinmycloset]

I'm not familiar with your program, but we had to use MEGA a fair bit on a slew of taxonomy and microbiology projects in college. From looking up Seaview, it seems like it should be roughly equivalent.

Personally, unless data entry/acquisition is a problem somehow (it shouldn't be?), I'd go big and add at least a dozen or two taxa, not just two or three. Let your computer crunch numbers overnight, if that's what it takes. You may be surprised (or maybe not, if you think about it) with how accurate the results seem to be. Just curious, is this a class project, or of personal interest?

[Bracchymyrmex]

MEGA looks much better than Seaview, which is buggy and obsolete. I'll give it a shot and compare the two.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

Edited by Bracchymyrmex, April 6 2017 - 4:44 PM.