{"id":"https://openalex.org/W2491596816","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199297306.003.0002","title":"What is the rationale for \u2018Ockham's razor\u2019 (a.k.a. parsimony) in phylogenetic inference?","display_name":"What is the rationale for \u2018Ockham's razor\u2019 (a.k.a. parsimony) in phylogenetic inference?","publication_year":2006,"publication_date":"2006-03-16","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W2491596816","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199297306.003.0002","mag":"2491596816"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199297306.003.0002","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199297306.003.0002","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199297306.003.0002","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306463708","display_name":"Oxford University Press eBooks","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310311648","host_organization_name":"Oxford University Press","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310311648","https://openalex.org/P4310311647"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Oxford University Press","University of Oxford"],"type":"ebook platform"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Parsimony, Phylogeny, and Genomics","raw_type":"book-chapter"},"volume":{"id":"https://openalex.org/W1527858535","display_name":"Parsimony, Phylogeny, and Genomics"},"type":"book-chapter","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5073487388","display_name":"Arnold G. Kluge","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Arnold G. Kluge","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":0,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5073487388"],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":29.9878,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":24,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.99458204,"is_in_top_1_percent":true,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":89,"max":98},"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":"15","last_page":"42"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10778","display_name":"Philosophy and History of Science","score":0.9243000149726868,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1207","display_name":"History and Philosophy of Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10778","display_name":"Philosophy and History of Science","score":0.9243000149726868,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1207","display_name":"History and Philosophy of Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12182","display_name":"Evolution and Science Education","score":0.01720000058412552,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1207","display_name":"History and Philosophy of Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11354","display_name":"Evolution and Paleontology Studies","score":0.013799999840557575,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1911","display_name":"Paleontology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/19","display_name":"Earth and Planetary Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/occam-s-razor","display_name":"Occam's razor","score":0.9980000257492065},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/parsimony","display_name":"parsimony","score":0.9490000009536743},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/phylogenetic-reconstruction","display_name":"phylogenetic inference","score":0.9980000257492065},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/cladistics","display_name":"phylogenetic systematics","score":0.5659999847412109},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/cladogram","display_name":"cladogram","score":0.7239999771118164},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/common-descent","display_name":"common ancestry","score":0.7110000252723694},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/counterfactuals","display_name":"counterfactuals","score":0.7609999775886536},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/evolutionary-models","display_name":"evolutionary models","score":0.8859999775886536},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/homology","display_name":"homology","score":0.843999981880188},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/patristic-distance","display_name":"patristic distance","score":0.8050000071525574},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/philosophy-of-biology","display_name":"philosophy of biology","score":0.5120000243186951}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C192219700","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2333562","display_name":"Cladogram","level":5,"score":0.7254011631011963},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C64802038","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q131012","display_name":"Occam's razor","level":2,"score":0.6954404711723328},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776214188","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q408386","display_name":"Inference","level":2,"score":0.6249102354049683},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C98184364","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1780131","display_name":"Argument (complex analysis)","level":2,"score":0.589604914188385},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C193252679","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q242125","display_name":"Phylogenetic tree","level":3,"score":0.5441795587539673},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C111472728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9471","display_name":"Epistemology","level":1,"score":0.5357927680015564},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C20822588","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192210","display_name":"Cladistics","level":4,"score":0.4985496997833252},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C134261354","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q938438","display_name":"Statistical inference","level":2,"score":0.44631797075271606},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C90132467","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q171184","display_name":"Phylogenetics","level":3,"score":0.4304131865501404},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C22799545","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1805805","display_name":"Maximum parsimony","level":5,"score":0.41650643944740295},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C78458016","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q840400","display_name":"Evolutionary biology","level":1,"score":0.354325532913208},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C53553401","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47307","display_name":"Genealogy","level":1,"score":0.332514226436615},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C86803240","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q420","display_name":"Biology","level":0,"score":0.26808688044548035},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C33923547","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q395","display_name":"Mathematics","level":0,"score":0.21517708897590637},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C138885662","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5891","display_name":"Philosophy","level":0,"score":0.1965624988079071},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C105795698","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12483","display_name":"Statistics","level":1,"score":0.14454758167266846},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C95457728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q309","display_name":"History","level":0,"score":0.128202885389328},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C54355233","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7162","display_name":"Genetics","level":1,"score":0.0895490050315857},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C55493867","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7094","display_name":"Biochemistry","level":1,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C44465124","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q713623","display_name":"Clade","level":4,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C104317684","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7187","display_name":"Gene","level":2,"score":0.0}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199297306.003.0002","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199297306.003.0002","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199297306.003.0002","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306463708","display_name":"Oxford University Press eBooks","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310311648","host_organization_name":"Oxford University Press","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310311648","https://openalex.org/P4310311647"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Oxford University Press","University of Oxford"],"type":"ebook platform"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Parsimony, Phylogeny, and Genomics","raw_type":"book-chapter"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W7097001661","https://openalex.org/W2152090928","https://openalex.org/W4231598505","https://openalex.org/W2102528464","https://openalex.org/W2171574810","https://openalex.org/W2498667489","https://openalex.org/W2003952504","https://openalex.org/W2506178569","https://openalex.org/W2464433484","https://openalex.org/W2522559841"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Philosophers":[0],"continue":[1],"to":[2,42,121,148,185],"debate":[3],"the":[4,36,63,66,84,122,157,167,174,182,187],"meaning":[5],"and":[6,30],"rationale":[7],"behind":[8],"\u2018Ockham's":[9],"razor\u2019.":[10],"Two":[11],"formally":[12],"distinct":[13],"justifications":[14],"for":[15],"parsimony":[16,39,164],"can":[17,45,72,90,105],"be":[18,46,73,91,106],"distinguished:":[19],"one":[20],"that":[21,56,65,100,134,143,172,179],"recommends":[22],"positing":[23,35],"as":[24,28,40,76,88,192],"few":[25],"theoretical":[26],"components":[27],"possible,":[29],"a":[31,77,136,150],"second":[32],"recommending":[33],"against":[34],"superfluous.":[37],"Furthermore,":[38],"applied":[41],"phylogenetic":[43,57,98],"inference":[44,58],"separated":[47],"into":[48],"conceptual":[49],"versus":[50],"operational":[51],"aspects.":[52],"It":[53],"is":[54,59,128,133,145],"argued":[55],"ideographic,":[60],"springing":[61],"from":[62],"idea":[64],"relative":[67],"recency":[68],"of":[69,94,126,153,169,194],"common":[70],"ancestry":[71],"represented":[74],"directly":[75],"concrete,":[78],"spatio-temporally":[79],"restricted,":[80],"explainable":[81],"thing":[82],"\u2014":[83,86],"cladogram":[85],"just":[87],"it":[89,109],"accompanying":[92],"transformations":[93],"inherited":[95],"traits.":[96],"Any":[97],"method":[99],"assumes":[101,138],"an":[102],"evolutionary":[103],"model":[104,137],"criticized":[107],"since":[108],"may":[110],"assume":[111],"counter-factual":[112],"conditionals.":[113],"Since":[114],"models":[115],"are":[116],"usually":[117],"statistical,":[118],"relating":[119],"them":[120],"necessarily":[123],"unique":[124],"hypotheses":[125],"phylogeny":[127],"illogical.":[129],"A":[130],"further":[131],"argument":[132,159],"employing":[135],"more":[139],"than":[140],"background":[141],"knowledge:":[142],"which":[144],"minimally":[146],"sufficient":[147],"provide":[149],"causal":[151],"explanation":[152],"historical":[154],"individuality.":[155],"Given":[156],"ideographic":[158],"presented,":[160],"in":[161],"quantitative":[162],"terms,":[163],"should":[165],"choose":[166],"hypothesis":[168,180],"cladistic":[170],"relationships":[171],"minimizes":[173],"overall":[175],"patristic":[176],"difference,":[177],"because":[178],"has":[181],"greatest":[183],"power":[184],"explain":[186],"independently":[188],"heritable":[189],"transformation":[190],"events":[191],"propositions":[193],"homology.":[195]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":2},{"year":2022,"cited_by_count":6},{"year":2020,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2018,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2017,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2016,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2013,"cited_by_count":2}],"updated_date":"2026-10-16T09:59:22.235173","created_date":"2016-08-23T00:00:00"}