Nexus file
file format used in phylogenetics, evolutionary biology, and bioinformatics
The extensible NEXUS file format is widely used in phylogenetics, evolutionary biology, and bioinformatics. It stores information about taxa, morphological character states, DNA and protein sequence alignments, distances, and phylogenetic trees. The NEXUS format also allows the storage of data that can facilitate analyses, such as sets of characters or taxa. Many popular phylogenetic programs, including PAUP*, MrBayes, Mesquite, MacClade, and SplitsTree, use this format. Nexus file names typically have the extension .nxs or .nex .
Syntax
A NEXUS file is made out of a fixed header #NEXUS followed by multiple blocks. Each block starts with BEGIN block_name; and ends with END;. The keywords are case-insensitive. Comments are enclosed inside square brackets [...]. Each of the pre-defined types of blocks may appear only once.
“Nexus file” enters the record as file format used in phylogenetics, evolutionary biology, and bioinformatics. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Nexus, file and format can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Nexus file” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Nexus, file and format provides the most credible route into that argument.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Nov 8, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q1983918. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Nexus file”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Nexus file primary sources, Nexus file archive and Nexus research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Nexus file”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Nexus file” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.