According to the principle of maximum parsimony,
A)phylogenies based in DNA require the most base changes between taxa.
B)the preferred tree is the one that minimizes the amount of evolutionary change.
C)in the case of trees based on morphology,a parsimonious tree requires the most changes.
D)a large number of trees should be examined.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The principle of maximum parsimony states that the preferred tree is the one that requires the least amount of evolutionary change. This means that the tree that requires the fewest number of genetic or morphological changes is the most parsimonious and therefore, the most likely to be accurate. Therefore, choice B is the correct answer.

According to the Principle of Maximum Parsimony