Maximum Parsimony
(MP). Maximum parsimony is an optimization criterion that
adheres to the principle that the best explanation of the
data is the simplest, which in turn is the one requiring the
fewest ad hoc assumptions. In practical terms, the MP tree
is the shortest - the one with the fewest changes -
which,
by
definition, is also the
one
with the fewest parallel
changes.
There are
several
variants of MP
that
differ with regard
to the
permitted
directionality
of
character
state
change.