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Advanced Workshop for Bioinformatics Specialists
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"Tree" Facts: Rooted versus Unrooted Trees

  • Trees may be rooted or unrooted.
  • Rooted trees reflect the most basal ancestor of the tree in question.
  • There are competing techniques for rooting a tree; one of the most common methods is through the use of an "outgroup" (see section on Parsimony Methods).

  • Unrooted trees do not imply a known ancestral root.

Phylogenetic Resources
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Revised 07/15/2002