Viri 3.0

Viri 3.0 is a web service to visualize reconciled phylogenetic trees through a hybrid metaphor that combines a space-filling and a node-link approach.

Cophylogeny reconciliation is a powerful method for analyzing host-symbiont co-evolution. The cophylogeny problem is usually envisioned as a problem of mapping the phylogenetic tree of the symbionts into the one of the hosts. Such mapping, called a reconciliation, allows the identification of four types of biological events: (a) cospeciation, when the symbiont diverges in correspondence to the divergence of a host species; (b) duplication, when the symbiont diverges but not the host; (c) host switch, when a symbiont switches from one host species to another independently of any host divergence; and (d) loss, which can describe for instance speciation of the host species independently of the symbiont, which then follows just one of the new host species. Viri 3.0 allows to visualize the results of cophylogeny analyses. It combines a space-filling and a node-link approach, providing an intuitive and engaging way to explore the coevolutionary relationships between hosts and symbionts. Finally, our tool is designed with sharing in mind. Indeed, you can register an account and share your own datasets with the wider community, making it easier for others to build on your work and contribute to the field of cophylogenetics.

Explore some examples of visualisation here

Visualize your reconciliations here.