Model selection using likelihood-based criteria (e.g., AIC) is one of the first steps in phylogenetic analysis. One must select both a substitution matrix and a model for rates across sites. A simple method is to test all combinations and select the best one. We describe heuristics to avoid these extensive calculations. Runtime is divided by ∼2 with results remaining nearly the same, and the method performs well compared with ProtTest and jModelTest2. Our software, “Smart Model Selection” (SMS), is implemented in the PhyML environment and available using two interfaces: command-line (to be integrated in pipelines) and a web server (http://www.atgc-montpellier.fr/phyml-sms/).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.