maximum likelihood method
Quick Summary
The maximum likelihood method is a statistical technique used to estimate population parameters from sample data. It works by selecting parameter values that maximize the probability of observing the given data. This method is a common approach in point estimation, which aims to find an approximate value for a population parameter, such as the mean.12
In the context of evolutionary biology, maximum likelihood methods are used to reconstruct evolutionary trees. These methods identify the most probable evolutionary history by considering an evolutionary model and calculating the probability of changes along each potential lineage. The tree with the highest overall probability, or maximum likelihood, is considered the best representation of the evolutionary relationships. However, these methods can be computationally intensive, especially with a large number of taxa.3
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