Question

Because these ancestral character states are not known directly, multiple possible solutions may exist. In this case, the parsimony principle applies to choose the character states that result in a minimum number of substitutions.

(a) True

(b) False

I have been asked this question during an interview for a job.

This question is from Character Based Methods topic in division Phylogenetic Tree Construction Methods and Programs of Bioinformatics

Answer 1

Correct option is (a) True

To elaborate: The inference of an ancestral sequence is made by first going from the leaves to internal nodes and to the common root to determine all possible ancestral character states. Then it goes back from the common root to the leaves to assign ancestral sequences that require the minimum number of substitutions.