Daniel Caetano da Silva

I am a post-doc in the Beaulieu lab at the University of Arkansas working with the development of phylogenetic comparative models and their application to diverse study systems across the Tree of Life. I recently got my PhD degree in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology working in the Harmon lab at the University of Idaho. The main drivers of my research are to study trait evolution through long time scales using phylogenetic trees, to evaluate, and to extend the tools we use to do such things. It is my view that we translate our biological thinking and expertise into statistical models in order to test our hypotheses and learn more about the world around us. These models serve as the lenses we use to view the world. For this reason, understanding the best way to use phylogenetic models and knowing their short-comings is paramount to the future of macroevolutionary studies as well as many other fields in biological sciences. My current work is focused on the study of evolutionary correlation by fitting multiple phenotypes to a phylogenetic tree. Ongoing research projects involves enabling researchers to study complex phenotypes with the aim of increasing the diversity of traits used in comparative studies. (Source: Lattes Curriculum)