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