Reticulate evolution in bacteria and other organisms: How can we study it?

The mechanisms of lateral gene transfer in bacteria and eukaryotes are brie fly described. The methods of reconstruction of branching phylogenies (whic h can be represented as trees) can be modified to accommodate reticulate ev olutionary patterns. These methods are often applied to molecular data. The elucidation of reticulate evolution requires data of very high quality and quantity. There is also a need for new concepts, terminology, and methods for this field.