add an outgroup to an unrooted tree

Question

[ftp]

Hello,

I have a multiple sequence alignment containing 7 taxa + an outgroup. I generate a unrooted species phylogeny from the 7 taxa. Now I have an unrooted tree. I would like to root this tree using the outgroup. Basically I would like to use the multiple sequence alignment containing the 7 taxa + the outgroup and the unrooted tree that I inferred to root it (to add the outgroup to it). Is there anyway to do this in paup software?

[apelin20]

Use FigTree to open most phylogenetic tree formats. It allows you to chose any root you want.

Answer 1

[h.mon]

I didn't use PAUP* for the last 10 years or so, so I do not recall in detail the commands, but you just have to ask for a tree rooted on outgroup and define an outgroup on your paupblock:

begin paup;

[commands ...]

set root=outgroup;

outgroup species1;

[more commands ...]

end;