maximum parsimony

Examples of maximum parsimony in the following topics:

• Building Phylogenetic Trees

  • A phylogenetic tree sorts organisms into clades or groups of organisms that descended from a single ancestor using maximum parsimony.
  • To aid in the tremendous task of describing phylogenies accurately, scientists often use a concept called maximum parsimony, which means that events occurred in the simplest, most obvious way.
  • For example, if a group of people entered a forest preserve to go hiking, based on the principle of maximum parsimony, one could predict that most of the people would hike on established trails rather than forge new ones.

• Control of Muscle Tension

  • This is close to the maximum force the muscle can produce.
  • Muscle tension is produced when the maximum amount of cross-bridges are formed, either within a muscle with a large diameter or when the maximum number of muscle fibers are stimulated.

• Logistic Population Growth

  • Logistic growth of a population size occurs when resources are limited, thereby setting a maximum number an environment can support.
  • This population size, which represents the maximum population size that a particular environment can support, is called the carrying capacity, or K.

• Thermoreception

  • The warm receptors show a maximum sensitivity at ~ 45°C, signal temperatures between 30 and 45°C, and cannot unambiguously signal temperatures higher than 45°C; they are unmyelinated.
  • The cold receptors have their maximum sensitivity at ~ 27°C, signal temperatures above 17°C, and some consist of lightly-myelinated fibers, while others are unmyelinated.

• Electron Shells and the Bohr Model

  • The innermost shell has a maximum of two electrons, but the next two electron shells can each have a maximum of eight electrons.

• Life History Patterns and Energy Budgets

  • Larger fish, such as bluefin tuna and mako sharks, use their energy to attain a large size, but do so with the risk that they will die before they can reproduce or reproduce to their maximum.

• Kidney Function and Physiology

  • Every solute, however, has a transport maximum; the excess solute is not reabsorbed.

• Energy Sources

  • Turnover occurs because water has a maximum density at 4 °C.

• Lung Volumes and Capacities

  • The vital capacity (VC) measures the maximum amount of air that can be inhaled or exhaled during a respiratory cycle.

• Causes of Global Climate Change

  • Beginning recently, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations have increased beyond the historical maximum of 300 ppm.