Question

According to the principle of maximum parsimony,

Answer 1

Answer:

The correct answer is B. the preferred tree is the one that minimizes the amount of evolutionary change.

Explanation:

The principle of maximum parsimony selects the cladogram or phylogenetic tree that explains the phylogeny that has the minimum number of evolutionary changes. It is based on the principle known as Occam's Razor (Occam’s razor) formulated by William Ockham in the 14th century. This principle refers to a type of reasoning based on a very simple premise: other things being equal, the simplest solution is probably the correct one. This is because the simplest solution requires the least number of assumptions and logical operations. The basic premise in Parsimony is that taxa that share a characteristic (similarity) do so because they inherited that characteristic from a common ancestor, homology.