2. Announcements

2.1. June 22-23: Macroevolution / diversification short course

Short course on the analysis of diversification rates from phylogenies: June 22-23 on the campus of Oregon State University, to coincide with the North American Evolution meetings (SSE/ASN/SSB) in Portland (June 23 - June 27). The workshop is funded in part by the National Science Foundation with additional support from Oregon State University and is co-organized by Dan Rabosky (University of Michigan) and Brian Sidlauskas (Oregon State University). Travel awards of up to $500 per person are available to cover participation costs.

Overview: Rates of speciation, extinction, and phenotypic evolution vary widely across the Tree of Life and through time. This workshop will provide theoretical background and a hands-on practicum in the analysis of lineage diversification rates using time-calibrated phylogenetic trees. Topics will include:

  • Developing your intuition for diversification models
  • Using BAMM to study complex patterns of diversification rate variation on phylogenies
  • Testing hypotheses about trait-dependent diversification
  • Assessing the reliability of inferences with BAMM and other methods
  • Visualizing macroevolutionary dynamics on phylogenies
  • Inferring diversification rates on phylogenies that include fossils
  • Working with phylogenies in R

Course will primarily be taught by Dan Rabosky (University of Michigan) with contributions from several co-instructors. The course will assume basic proficiency with the R programming/statistical environment and some familiarity with command line interfaces. Example datasets will be provided, but participants are encouraged to bring any phylogenetic dataset they wish to analyze (time calibrated phylogenetic trees). A personal laptop is essential.

Workshop participants will arrive in Corvallis (Oregon) any time on Wednesday June 21 and we will depart for Portland on the evening of Friday June 23, such that individuals can attend the Evolution meeting. Shuttles offer easy transport between the Portland Airport and OSU’s campus every two hours, and housing is available at several hotels near campus. Details regarding accommodation and transport will be provided to successful applicants.

To apply. please send a CV and a short statement (1-2 paragraphs) detailing your research interests, why you are interested in the course, and your prior experience with R and phylogenetics / comparative methods. Please email your application (or questions) to Dan Rabosky (macroevolution.workshop@gmail.com).

Applications will be accepted until April 2, 2017, but please apply early as spaces are limited. Target audience is graduate students and postdocs but applications from researchers at other career stages are welcome. Preference will be given to students with a clear interest and research focus in phylogenetics & macroevolution.