
For a given phylogeny on higher taxa, but where the number of species is known within each higher taxa, speciation and extinction rates can be estimated, under the assumption that these rates remained constant (implemented as bd.groups.optim).
T. Stadler: Estimating speciation and extinction rates under density-dependent models. Manuscript.
T. Stadler, F. Bokma: Estimating speciation and extinction rates for phylogenies of higher taxa. Submitted, 2011.
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TreeSim