Maximum likelihood A purely statistical method Probablilities for every nucleotide substitution in a set of aligned sequences is considered Calculation of probabilities is complex since ancestor is unknown Test all possible trees and calculate the aggregate probablility Tree with single highest aggregate probablity is the most likely to reflect the true phylogenetic tree VERY COMPUTATONALLY INTENSEMaximum Likelihood • A purely statistical method. • Probablilities for every nucleotide substitution in a set of aligned sequences is considered. • Calculation of probabilities is complex since ancestor is unknown • Test all possible trees and calculate the aggregate probablility. • Tree with single highest aggregate probablilty is the most likely to reflect the true phylogenetic tree. VERY COMPUTATIONALLY INTENSE