Final answer:
Whales and hippos are less parsimonious than their closest relatives due to their complex adaptations. Whales have evolved streamlined bodies, fins, and tails for swimming, while hippos have developed webbed feet and the ability to close their nostrils and ears while underwater.
Step-by-step explanation:
Whales and hippos are less parsimonious because they have more complex traits compared to their closest relatives. Parsimony is a principle in evolutionary biology that favors the explanation with the fewest evolutionary changes. Both whales and hippos have evolved specialized adaptations that differentiate them from their ancestors.
For example, whales evolved from land-dwelling mammals and have adapted to live in the water. They have developed a streamlined body shape, a dorsal fin, flippers, and a tail fin for swimming. Hippos, on the other hand, have evolved to be semi-aquatic, with adaptations like webbed feet and the ability to close their nostrils and ears when submerged in water.
These complex adaptations require multiple evolutionary steps, making whales and hippos less parsimonious compared to their closest relatives that lack these specialized traits