Final answer:
The most important thing to find in the phylogeny of whales is the evolutionary relationships. Scientists use cladistics and maximum parsimony to determine the best tree.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most important thing to find when looking at the phylogeny of the whales is the evolutionary relationships between different species. This helps us understand how they are related and how they have evolved over time. To find the best tree, scientists use a method called cladistics, which sorts organisms into clades based on their common ancestry.
One way to determine the best tree is by using the concept of maximum parsimony. This means that the tree with the fewest number of character changes and reversals is considered the best. Scientists use computer programs to search through all possible trees and find the ones that have the simplest evolutionary pathways.