Final answer:
The Maximum Parsimony method decreases the total amount of evolutionary change by finding the simplest phylogenetic tree with the fewest evolutionary events, character changes, and character reversals.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Maximum Parsimony method minimizes the total amount of evolutionary change in a phylogenetic tree. This method is based on the principle that the best hypothetical tree is the one that requires the least complex explanation, featuring the fewest number of character reversals, the smallest number of independent character changes, and the minimal number of character changes throughout the tree. In essence, maximum parsimony posits that the order of evolutionary events likely occurred most straightforwardly with the fewest significant divergences that match the available evidence.
When scientists create phylogenetic trees using maximum parsimony, they are essentially hypothesizing that organisms that share a common ancestor will have many traits in common and that the simplest pathway of evolution includes the fewest major events that coincide with the evidence at hand. This method is a parsimonious approach to understanding evolutionary relationships, likened to people opting to hike on established trails in a forest rather than creating new ones.