Four different phylogenetic trees of a group of salamanders have been proposed.Trees A and B each require 12 homoplasies,but tree A requires 14 synapomorphies and tree B requires 13 synapomorphies.Tree C requires 15 homoplasies and 13 synapomorphies.Finally,tree D requires 10 homoplasies and 15 synapomorphies.According to the principle of parsimony,which tree (or trees)is the best?
A) Tree A
B) Tree B
C) Tree C
D) Tree D
E) Both tree A and tree B

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the principle of parsimony, the best tree is the one that requires the fewest number of homoplasies and synapomorphies. Tree D requires the fewest homoplasies (10) and the highest number of synapomorphies (15), making it the best choice. Trees A and B require the same number of homoplasies but fewer synapomorphies than Tree D, and Tree C requires the highest number of homoplasies but the same number of synapomorphies as Tree B. Therefore, Tree D is the best choice.

Four Different Phylogenetic Trees of a Group of Salamanders Have