Title
Tripartitions do not always discriminate phylogenetic networks.
Abstract
Phylogenetic networks are a generalization of phylogenetic trees that allow for the representation of non-treelike evolutionary events, like recombination, hybridization, or lateral gene transfer. In a recent series of papers devoted to the study of reconstructibility of phylogenetic networks, Moret, Nakhleh, Warnow and collaborators introduced the so-called tripartition metric for phylogenetic networks. In this paper we show that, in fact, this tripartition metric does not satisfy the separation axiom of distances (zero distance means isomorphism, or, in a more relaxed version, zero distance means indistinguishability in some specific sense) in any of the subclasses of phylogenetic networks where it is claimed to do so. We also present a subclass of phylogenetic networks whose members can be singled out by means of their sets of tripartitions (or even clusters), and hence where the latter can be used to define a meaningful metric.
Year
DOI
Venue
2007
10.1016/j.mbs.2007.11.003
Mathematical Biosciences
Keywords
Field
DocType
Phylogenetic networks,Recombination,Bipartitions,Tripartitions,Tripartition metric,Error metric
Discrete mathematics,Combinatorics,Phylogenetic tree,Horizontal gene transfer,Separation axiom,Isomorphism,Phylogenetic comparative methods,Mathematics,Phylogenetic network
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
211
2
0025-5564
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
18
1.28
7
Authors
3
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Gabriel Cardona120916.10
Francesc Rosselló224429.09
Gabriel Valiente374263.30