Node Labels options in Fig Tree

[Silvia]

Dear Beast Users,
I'm running Beast with tree priors using fossil information for my
group. Everything is fine with that (I hope!). I just would like to
know what the other options for node labels in FigTree mean...
especially the Length (all four flavors) when I'm using dates in
million years to calibrate the tree.
Any coment will be appreciated.
Thanks
Silvia

[Simon Ho]

Hi Silvia,

Length = length of the branch leading up to the node, as displayed in
the FigTree window. This will depend on the settings that you used in
TreeAnnotator when summarising your .trees file. If you selected "mean
heights" in TreeAnnotator, then "length" in FigTree will represent the
mean posterior estimate for the branch length. If you kept the default
setting of "keep target heights", then "length" in FigTree represents
the branch length in the maximum-clade-credibility tree (the tree in
your .trees file with the best product of clade credibilities).
length_95%_hpd = the 95% highest posterior density interval for the
branch length
length_range = the range of lengths sampled for that branch
length_median = the posterior median estimate of the branch length

If you used dates in millions of years to calibrate the tree, then
branch lengths will also be given in millions of years.

Cheers,
Simon