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Question 4

Using what you have learned about the skull structures and evolutionary relationships drag and drop the saber-toothed cat and mountain lion into the positions where you think they belong on the cladogram.
Remember, species that are more closely related to each other will branch closer together.

(1 point)

1 answer

To properly place the saber-toothed cat and mountain lion on a cladogram, you need to consider their evolutionary relationships and anatomical features.

  1. Saber-toothed Cat (like Smilodon) - This species is part of the subfamily Machairodontinae, which is distinct from modern big cats. Saber-toothed cats lived millions of years ago and are more distantly related to modern felines.

  2. Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) - This species is part of the subfamily Felinae, which includes modern big cats like lions, tigers, and domestic cats. The mountain lion shares a more recent common ancestor with these cats than it does with saber-toothed cats.

Given this information:

  • Place the mountain lion closer to the base of the cladogram with other modern felids.
  • Place the saber-toothed cat further away from the modern felids on a separate branch, reflecting its more distant evolutionary relationship.

By following these guidelines, you should have the mountain lion positioned closer together with modern felids while the saber-toothed cat is placed on a different branch of the cladogram.