According to the principle of parsimony,the best phylogenetic hypothesis is the one that requires the
A) fewest homoplasies.
B) most homoplasies.
C) fewest homologies.
D) most clades.
E) fewest clades.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The principle of parsimony, also known as Occam's Razor, states that the simplest explanation that fits the data is the best, and this applies to constructing phylogenetic trees as well. Therefore, the best phylogenetic hypothesis is the one that requires the fewest homoplasies (convergent evolution, parallel evolution, or evolutionary reversal) because these represent independent evolutionary changes that complicate the tree and increase its complexity without providing informative evidence about the evolutionary relationships among taxa. Homologies (shared ancestral features) are the informative evidence that helps reconstruct the tree, but homoplasies can mislead the inference. Thus, minimizing homoplasies maximizes the probability of a correct and informative phylogenetic hypothesis.

According to the Principle of Parsimony,the Best Phylogenetic Hypothesis Is