Goals of molecular phylogeny:
A TRUE TREE depicts the actual historical events that occurred in evolution. However, it is essentially impossible to generate a true tree. Instead, we generate inferred trees, which depict a hypothesized version of historical events. Some major goals of molecular phylogeny are to deduce correct trees for all species and to estimate times of species divergence. Here are some questions that molecular phylogeny may
help answer:
(i) How many genes are related to my favorite gene?
(ii) How related are whale, dolphins and porpoises to cows?
(iii) When and where did HIV and other viruses originate?
(iv) What is the history of life on earth?
(v) Was the extinct quagga more like a zebra or a horse?
