PhyloGrapher is a visualization tool for analyzing and studying the evolutionary relationships among homologous genes within a family. It helps users to visualize complex evolutionary data and identify patterns and trends within the data.
Each gene or protein on PhyloGrapher's graph is represented as a colored node (vertex) that is connected to other nodes (vertices) by lines (edges) of varying thickness and color based on the similarity between the genes or proteins. The position of each node in the graph is flexible and can be adjusted by the user to optimize the visualization of the inter-relationships between the nodes. Unlike traditional phylogenetic trees, the physical distances between nodes have no information content.
The level of similarity between genes or proteins on PhyloGrapher's graphs is indicated by color and line thickness, making it easy for users to identify patterns and make comparisons. PhyloGrapher is written in Tcl/Tk and is compatible with Unix/Linux or Windows that support the Tcl/Tk toolkit. However, Macintosh computers may encounter issues because of the one-button mouse.
PhyloGrapher offers all the basic elements and characteristics of a graph, including vertex (node), edge, degree of a vertex, size, path, length of path, planar and non-planar graphs, distance, diameter, isolated vertex, adjacent vertices, and neighborhood. As a user, you can check out their collection of web links to learn more.
A tree is a connected graph that contains no cycles, and PhyloGrapher is an ideal tool to visualize these relationships. It is essential to note that the critical characteristics of a graph are which dots are connected by which lines.
The latest release of PhyloGrapher includes minor bug fixes, related to the way gene ID's were represented in numeric characters. Overall, PhyloGrapher is an excellent program that will help users visualize and study evolutionary relationships within families of homologous genes or proteins effectively.
Version April 03 2003: N/A