[Mesquitelist] Mesquite NEXUS file recognition

[Patrick Moldowan]

To members of the Mesquite list,

As a component of my undergraduate thesis I have been composing a phylogeny of anuran amphibians.  A recent publication from Pyron and Wiens (2011) has been of great assistance in resolving amphibian classification, especially of the species I am interested in.  Dr. Pyron passed along the NEXUS file of this work, although I have encountered many difficulties when opening the file and accessing the tree for modification.  

Specifically, while loading the file a window with the following message appears:
" Not a valid NEXUS file (first token is "(" "

Is there a specific statement of code that should precede all other coding text?  That is, what should precede the troublesome beginning parenthesis?

Pardon my ignorance, I am new to Mesquite and any advice on how to resolve the above message would be greatly appreciated.  Please let me know if I have been unclear or if further information is required to find a resolution.  I will be able to provide the NEXUS file if it would assist in troubleshooting.  

All the best and continued success.  Thank you kindly in advance for your time, sincerely,

- Patrick Moldowan
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Undergraduate, Hons. Wildlife Biology
University of Guelph
Guelph, ON
Canada
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"There is grandeur in this view of life . . . from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved" - C. Darwin, The Origin of Species (1859)