Parsimony neither maximizes congruence nor minimizes incongruence or homoplasy

Abstract

Wilkinson is correct to point out inaccuracy between Scotland's (1992: 3, 8) fourth axiom of cladistics the principle of parsimony maximizes character and discussion of character congruence and consistency (Scotland, 1992: 8). Here I take opportunity to illustrate that parsimony does not maximize character congruence and therefore Patterson's (1982) congruence test of homology is potentially misleading in name. I illustrate that Wilkinson is wrong in his assertion that parsimony minimizes incongruence. I further re-assert that parsimony minimizes ad hoc assumptions of homoplasy (Farris, 1983) but that subtleties of Farris's (1983) argument are easily misunderstood.