UglyTrees: a browser-based multispecies coalescent tree visualizer

Bioinformatics. 2021 Apr 19;37(2):268-269. doi: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btaa679.

Abstract

Summary: Visualization is a vital task in phylogenetics and yet there is a deficit in programs which visualize the multispecies coalescent (MSC) model. UglyTrees (UT) is an easy-to-use program for visualizing multiple gene trees embedded within a single species trees. The mapping between gene and species nodes is automatically detected allowing for ready access to the program. UT can scrape the contents of a website for MSC analyses, enabling the sharing of interactive MSC figures through optional parameters in the URL. If a posterior distribution is uploaded, the transitions between MSC states are animated allowing the visual tracking of trees throughout the sequence.

Availability and implementation: UT runs in all major web browsers including mobile devices, and is hosted at www.uglytrees.nz. The MIT-licensed code is available at https://github.com/UglyTrees/uglytrees.github.io.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Phylogeny
  • Software*
  • Web Browser