Refer to the diagram.

Question

Mammal evolutionary relationships.

Which statement best compares the evolutionary relationship of an elephant, a hedgehog, and a pig?

(1 point)
Responses

Pigs are not related to hedgehogs, but they are distantly related to elephants.
Pigs are not related to hedgehogs, but they are distantly related to elephants.

Pigs are more closely related to elephants than to hedgehogs.
Pigs are more closely related to elephants than to hedgehogs.

Pigs are not related to elephants, but they are distantly related to hedgehogs.
Pigs are not related to elephants, but they are distantly related to hedgehogs.

Pigs are more closely related to hedgehogs than to elephants.

Answer 1

To answer the question, we need to analyze the evolutionary relationships of the three mammals based on the diagram, which is typically structured like a phylogenetic tree.

• If the diagram indicates that elephants (as part of the order Proboscidea), pigs (as part of the order Artiodactyla), and hedgehogs (as part of the order Erinaceomorpha) all share a common ancestor, then the distance from one group to another can denote how closely related they are.

• Generally, pigs and elephants are both more closely related to each other than they are to hedgehogs, as both pigs and elephants are part of the larger clade of mammals that share a more recent common ancestor compared to hedgehogs.

Considering the typical evolutionary relationships among these animals, the best statement would most likely be:

Pigs are more closely related to elephants than to hedgehogs.

So the correct statement to choose would be: "Pigs are more closely related to elephants than to hedgehogs."