Inference of ancestral recombination graphs using ARGweaver

Abstract

This chapter describes the usage of the program ARGweaver, which estimates the ancestral recombination graph for as many as about 100 genome sequences. The ancestral recombination graph is a detailed description of the coalescence and recombination events that define the relationships among the sampled sequences. This rich description is useful for a wide variety of population genetic analyses. We describe the preparation of data and major considerations for running ARGweaver, as well as the interpretation of results. We then demonstrate an analysis using the DARC (Duffy) gene as an example, and show how ARGweaver can be used to detect signatures of natural selection and Neandertal introgression, as well as to estimate the dates of mutation events. This chapter provides sufficient detail to get a new user up and running with this complex but powerful analysis tool.