Phylogenetics of medieval manuscripts

Duration: 35 mins 21 secs
Share this media item:
Embed this media item:


About this item
Image inherited from collection
Description: Howe, C (Cambridge)
Tuesday 18 December 2007, 15:50-16:20
PLGw03 - Future Directions in Phylogenetic Methods and Models
 
Created: 2008-01-11 08:46
Collection: Phylogenetics
Publisher: Isaac Newton Institute
Copyright: Howe, C
Language: eng (English)
Distribution: World     (downloadable)
Credits:
Author:  Howe, C
Explicit content: No
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Screencast: No
Bumper: /sms-ingest/static/new-4x3-bumper.dv
Trailer: /sms-ingest/static/new-4x3-trailer.dv
 
Abstract: There are remarkable similarities between the error-prone copying of DNA sequences and the incorporation of errors by scribes as they copied manuscripts in the days before printing. Since the mid-19th century, manuscript scholars have used the distribution of ‘common errors’ to try to reconstruct the copying history of sets of manuscripts in a very labour-intensive way. We have shown that phylogenetic tree-building programs can be a powerful tool for scholars to analyse manuscript copying history much more rapidly than before. Of particular interest is the phenomenon of ‘contamination’, where a scribe would use more than one version of a text in constructing a copy. This has obvious parallels to lateral gene transfer and recombination. We are also interested in analysing DNA from the parchment itself to provide insights into medieval husbandry patterns as well as manuscript provenance.
Available Formats
Format Quality Bitrate Size
MPEG-4 Video 480x360    1.84 Mbits/sec 489.26 MB View Download
WebM 480x360    858.58 kbits/sec 222.40 MB View Download
Flash Video 480x360    806.82 kbits/sec 209.49 MB View Download
iPod Video 480x360    505.6 kbits/sec 131.28 MB View Download
QuickTime 384x288    848.72 kbits/sec 220.37 MB View Download
MP3 44100 Hz 125.04 kbits/sec 32.25 MB Listen Download
Windows Media Video 478.31 kbits/sec 124.19 MB View Download
Auto * (Allows browser to choose a format it supports)