MSCquartets 3.3: Fast Inference of Species Networks and Trees of Blobs under the Multispecies Coalescent.

MSCquartets 3.3 enables rapid inference of species networks and trees of blobs under the multispecies coalescent, with improved computational speed and new algorithms.

• Why it matters: Understanding species relationships from gene trees is crucial for evolutionary biology, but existing methods can be slow and limited in scope. Enhancing these tools addresses the need for faster, more comprehensive analyses of complex species histories.
• What they did: The package implements the TINNiK, ECToBlob, and NANUQ+ algorithms, utilizing C++ routines for speed, and introduces a Shiny App for user-friendly exploration of analyses, building on version 1.0.
• The result: These updates enable quicker, more versatile inference of species relationships, facilitating detailed studies of species networks and trees of blobs under coalescent models.