TimeTree

TimeTree aggregates divergence-time estimates from molecular evolution and phylogenetics literature to provide comparative timetrees and timelines for studying species divergence and evolutionary timescales.

Key Features:

• Data aggregation: Aggregates peer-reviewed publications in molecular evolution and phylogenetics to derive divergence-time estimates.
• Extensive database: Contains data from over 3,000 studies and more than 97,000 species spanning the tree of life.
• Timetree and timeline generation: Produces timetrees for groups of species and timelines that trace the evolutionary history of individual species over time.
• Integration with geological and environmental history: Aligns divergence-time information with Earth's geological events and environmental history.
• Statistical synthesis: Synthesizes molecular clock analyses to produce summary statistics of divergence times from hierarchical data.

Scientific Applications:

• Biodiversity studies: Provides temporal context for speciation and diversification analyses across taxa.
• Evolutionary development (evo-devo): Supplies divergence-time estimates for comparative analyses of developmental processes.
• Disease research: Offers evolutionary timescales relevant to comparative studies of disease-related lineages.

Methodology:

Aggregates divergence-time estimates from peer-reviewed molecular evolution and phylogenetics literature, interprets complex and hierarchical molecular-clock analyses, and synthesizes these data into summary statistics and visual representations.