Phylogenetic networks are a generalization of phylogenetic trees that allow
for the representation of evolutionary events acting at the population level,
like recombination between genes, hybridization between lineages, and lateral
gene transfer. While most phylogenetics tools implement a wide range of
algorithms on phylogenetic trees, there exist only a few applications to work
with phylogenetic networks, and there are no open-source libraries either.
In order to improve this situation, we have developed a Perl package that
relies on the BioPerl bundle and implements many algorithms on phylogenetic
networks. We have also developed a Java applet that makes use of the
aforementioned Perl package and allows the user to make simple experiments with
phylogenetic networks without having to develop a program or Perl script by
herself.
The Perl package has been accepted as part of the BioPerl bundle. It can be
downloaded from http://dmi.uib.es/~gcardona/BioInfo/Bio-PhyloNetwork.tgz. The
web-based application is available at http://dmi.uib.es/~gcardona/BioInfo/. The
Perl package includes full documentation of all its features.Comment: 5 page