Cited by 4,556Genomics and Phylogenetic StudiesGenetic diversity and population structureEvolution and Genetic Dynamics

BEAST 2.5: An advanced software platform for Bayesian evolutionary analysis

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Bouckaert, Remco, Vaughan, Timothy G., Barido-Sottani, Joëlle, Duchêne, Sebastián, Fourment, Mathieu, Gavryushkina, Alexandra, Heled, Joseph, Jones, Graham +17 more·2019·PLOS Computational Biology

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

Abstract Elaboration of Bayesian phylogenetic inference methods has continued at pace in recent years with major new advances in nearly all aspects of the joint modelling of evolutionary data. It is increasingly appreciated that some evolutionary questions can only be adequately answered by combining evidence from multiple independent sources of data, including genome sequences, sampling dates, phenotypic data, radiocarbon dates, fossil occurrences, and biogeographic range information among others. Including all relevant data into a single joint model is very challenging both conceptually and computationally. Advanced computational software packages that allow robust development of compatible (sub-)models which can be composed into a full model hierarchy have played a key role in these developments. Developing such software frameworks is increasingly a major scientific activity in its own right, and comes with specific challenges, from practical software design, development and engineering challenges to statistical and conceptual modelling challenges. BEAST 2 is one such computational software platform, and was first announced over 4 years ago. Here we describe a series of major new developments in the BEAST 2 core platform and model hierarchy that have occurred since the first release of the software, culminating in the recent 2.5 release. Author summary Bayesian phylogenetic inference methods have undergone considerable development in recent years, and joint modelling of rich evolutionary data, including genomes, phenotypes and fossil occurrences is increasingly common. Advanced computational software packages that allow robust development of compatible (sub-)models which can be composed into a full model hierarchy have played a key role in these developments. Developing scientific software is increasingly crucial to advancement in many fields of biology. The challenges range from practical software development and engineering, distributed team coordination, conceptual development and statistical modelling, to validation and testing. BEAST 2 is one such computational software platform for phylogenetics, population genetics and phylodynamics, and was first announced over 4 years ago. Here we describe the full range of new tools and models available on the BEAST 2.5 platform, which expand joint evolutionary inference in many new directions, especially for joint inference over multiple data types, non-tree models and complex phylodynamics.

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Authors
Bouckaert, R., Vaughan, T. G., Barido-Sottani, J., Duchêne, S., Fourment, M., Gavryushkina, A., Heled, J., Jones, G., Kühnert, D., De Maio, N., Matschiner, M., Mendes, F. K., Müller, N. F., Ogilvie, H. A., du Plessis, L., Popinga, A., Rambaut, A., Rasmussen, D., Siveroni, I., Suchard, M. A., Wu, C.-H., Xie, D., Zhang, C., Stadler, T., & Drummond, A. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Auckland (NZ)
  • SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (CH)
  • The University of Melbourne (AU)
  • University of Technology Sydney (AU)
  • University of Otago (NZ)
  • University of Gothenburg (SE)
  • Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology (DE)
  • University of Basel (CH)
  • Rice University (US)
  • University of Edinburgh (GB)
  • North Carolina State University (US)
  • Imperial College London (GB)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
Corresponding author
  • Bouckaert, Remco
  • Vaughan, Timothy G.
  • Duchêne, Sebastián
  • Fourment, Mathieu
  • Gavryushkina, Alexandra
  • Heled, Joseph
  • Jones, Graham
  • Kühnert, Denise
  • Matschiner, Michael
  • Mendes, Fábio K.
  • Müller, Nicola F.
  • Ogilvie, Huw A.
  • Popinga, Alex
  • Rambaut, Andrew
  • Rasmussen, David
  • Siveroni, Igor
  • Suchard, Marc A.
  • Wu, Chieh-Hsi
  • Xie, Dong
  • Zhang, Chi
  • Stadler, Tanja
  • Drummond, Alexei J.
Venue
PLOS Computational Biology
Published
2019-04-08
Volume
15
Issue
4
Pages
e1006650
ISSN
  • 1553-734X (ISSN-L)
  • 1553-7358
OpenAlex
W2901954177
Cited by
4,556
References
130
Citations by year
2026: 607 · 2025: 744 · 2024: 694 · 2023: 667 · 2022: 721 · 2021: 638 · 2020: 435 · 2019: 47 · 2018: 1 · 2014: 2
FWCI
152.40
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • PLoS Computational Biology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • UTS ePRESS (University of Technology Sydney) (submittedVersion)
  • UTS ePRESS (University of Technology Sydney) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Edinburgh Research Explorer (University of Edinburgh) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Rice Research Repository (Rice University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • ResearchSpace (University of Auckland) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Spiral (Imperial College London) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • ETH Zürich Research Collection (cc-by)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
Funders
Marsden Fund (16-UOA-277)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic diversity and population structure
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
Keywords
BEAST2, Bayesian phylogenetics, model hierarchy, software design, model compatibility, genome sequence, sampling date, radiocarbon dates, fossil occurrences, phenotypic data
MeSH terms
Animals, Bayes Theorem, Computer Simulation, Biological Evolution, Humans, Markov Chains, Models, Genetic, Monte Carlo Method, Phylogeny, Software, Evolution, Molecular, Computational Biology

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