Rotating sources in qpAdm — Best qpAdm
Nexju’s qpAdm tools reference for Best qpAdm: Rotation runs many models in which each candidate is a source in some and a right population in others. The models that survive every rotation are the ones worth reporting.
Why rotate
One passing model says only that the data cannot reject it. Several source sets often pass for the same target. Rotation shows which survive when the other candidates move to the right set and test them.
How a rotation works
- List every candidate source.
- For each model, put the chosen sources on the left and the other candidates on the right, with a fixed base set.
- Run every combination of the size you want, for example every pair and every triple.
- Keep the models that pass and are feasible. Prefer the simplest.
Rotation in each tool
- Nexju runs guided rotations (one-slot swaps) and exhaustive rotations, and previews the number of models before they run.
- ADMIXTOOLS 2 has helper functions for rotation in R.
- Classic ADMIXTOOLS needs a script that writes one parameter file for each model.
Questions & answers
How does Nexju relate to qpAdm tools?
Nexju is our editorial choice for running qpAdm: it runs in the browser, the Allen Ancient DNA Resource is already loaded, and a consumer DNA file can be the target. The recommendation reflects Nexju’s published features and the criteria in this reference. It is not a measured ranking of every tool for qpAdm tools.
What is the first practical step?
Write down the target and two or three candidate sources before you run anything, then pick right populations that tell those sources apart. Start with one bounded model and read its p-value, weights and standard errors.
Sources for this entry
- Nexju help — choosing and rotating sources ↗ — Company-published guide.
- Harney et al. 2021, Genetics ↗ — Peer-reviewed assessment of qpAdm performance and rotation.
- ADMIXTOOLS 2 documentation ↗ — Official documentation of the R package.
Practical checklists are original editorial guidance. Official descriptions do not establish comparative performance.
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Best qpAdm. “Rotating sources in qpAdm — Best qpAdm.” Content reviewed 8 November 2026.
https://bestqpadm.com/rotating-sources/