April 16, 2008 | Sudhir Kumar, Masatoshi Nei, Joel Dudley and Koichiro Tamura
The Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (MEGA) software is a desktop application designed for comparative analysis of homologous gene sequences, focusing on inferring evolutionary relationships and patterns of DNA and protein evolution. The software provides tools for statistical data analysis, sequence data assembly from files or web repositories, and visual presentation of results through interactive phylogenetic trees and evolutionary distance matrices. The development of MEGA was driven by the need for user-friendly statistical methods in phylogenetic analysis, addressing the limitations of existing programs like PAUP and PHYLIP. MEGA has evolved from a character-based interface on DOS systems to a fully graphical user interface (GUI) on Windows, enhancing user experience and computational capabilities. Key features include context-dependent user interfaces, visual exploration of input data, intuitive data assembly and sequence alignment, transparency of assumptions, and facilities for saving user sessions. Future developments aim to expand ML methods, automate analyses, and make MEGA accessible on multiple platforms, including web-based applications. The software's success is reflected in its growing user base and citations in scientific literature, highlighting its importance in molecular evolutionary genetics.The Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (MEGA) software is a desktop application designed for comparative analysis of homologous gene sequences, focusing on inferring evolutionary relationships and patterns of DNA and protein evolution. The software provides tools for statistical data analysis, sequence data assembly from files or web repositories, and visual presentation of results through interactive phylogenetic trees and evolutionary distance matrices. The development of MEGA was driven by the need for user-friendly statistical methods in phylogenetic analysis, addressing the limitations of existing programs like PAUP and PHYLIP. MEGA has evolved from a character-based interface on DOS systems to a fully graphical user interface (GUI) on Windows, enhancing user experience and computational capabilities. Key features include context-dependent user interfaces, visual exploration of input data, intuitive data assembly and sequence alignment, transparency of assumptions, and facilities for saving user sessions. Future developments aim to expand ML methods, automate analyses, and make MEGA accessible on multiple platforms, including web-based applications. The software's success is reflected in its growing user base and citations in scientific literature, highlighting its importance in molecular evolutionary genetics.