Elsevier

Mathematical Biosciences

Volume 87, Issue 2, December 1987, Pages 199-229
Mathematical Biosciences

Reconstructing ancestral character states under Wagner parsimony

https://doi.org/10.1016/0025-5564(87)90074-5Get rights and content

Abstract

The problem of assigning optimal character states to the hypothetical ancestors of an evolutionary tree under the Wagner parsimony criterion is examined. A proof is provided for the correctness of Farris's well-known, but previously unproven, algorithm for solving this problem. However, the solution is not, in general, unique, and Farris's method obtains only a subset (generally only one) of the possible solutions. Algorithms that discover other solutions and that resolve ambiguities through the imposition of ancillary criteria are developed and discussed. A method for determining the optimal length of a given tree without actually assigning character states to hypothetical ancestors is described.

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