Maximum Parsimony
This video presents the same text shown beside it, spoken and on screen. It adds nothing the text does not say.
State
Maximum parsimony selects the phylogenetic arrangement requiring the fewest evolutionary changes to explain observed shared traits, favoring the simplest supported explanation.
Show
Given two candidate trees that both fit the data, the one requiring fewer independent trait-origin events is preferred.
Watch for
Maximum parsimony selects the simplest tree consistent with the evidence — it does not guarantee that tree is historically correct.