What does "Subtree Prune And Regraft" mean?

Table of Contents

Subtree Prune And Regraft (SPR) is a technique used in studying how different species are related through their genes. When genes are transferred from one organism to another, it can change the way we think about their family tree. SPR helps to adjust the tree to show this new information.

In simple terms, imagine a family tree where one branch is cut and moved to connect with another branch. This new connection represents a gene that has been shared between two species.

However, when many species are not visible in the tree because they are extinct or not studied, using SPR can become tricky. The invisible species, often referred to as ghost lineages, can lead to confusion about where the genes actually came from.

Because of this, if researchers use SPR to model gene transfers, they might get the wrong results more than half the time. This means that scientists need to be careful when using SPR, especially in cases where many species are missing from the family tree.