Question

How do you know that the lion and tiger are more closely related than the lion and pintail duck? Use evidence from the table above to support the response.(2 points)

Answers

GPT-4o mini
To determine the relatedness between the lion, tiger, and pintail duck, we can look at genetic, taxonomic, and evolutionary relationships.

1. **Taxonomy**: Both lions and tigers belong to the family Felidae, which means they share a more recent common ancestor compared to pintail ducks that are under the family Anatidae. This taxonomic classification shows that the lion and tiger are more closely related.

2. **Genetic Similarity**: Typically, studies on genetic sequences reveal that species within the same family are more genetically similar than those from different families. If a genetic analysis were provided, it would likely show a higher percentage of similarity in DNA sequences of lions and tigers compared to those of lions and pintail ducks.

Together, these points illustrate that lions and tigers share a more recent evolutionary ancestor, and hence, they are more closely related than lions are to pintail ducks.