All things being equal, which of these is the most parsimonious explanation for the change in the number of Hox genes from the last common ancestor of insects and vertebrates to ancestral vertebrates, as shown in the table above?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Occam's Razor or the principle of parsimony suggests that the simplest explanation, with the fewest assumptions, is often the most likely. In this case, option C suggests a single duplication event of the entire seven-gene cluster, which is a simpler explanation compared to the other options. Option A suggests seven independent duplications, option B suggests two duplications followed by loss and option D suggests multiple duplications of different clusters. Hence, option C is the most parsimonious explanation.

All Things Being Equal, Which of These Is the Most