B. The scientific name for tiger is Panthera tigris, cat is Felis domesticus and lion is Panthera leo. Which two are more closely related? Why?
Both the tiger and the lion are species of Panthera, a genus in the subfamily Pantherinae that includes the roaring big cats. Other Panthera species include jaguars (Panthera onca) and leopards (Panthera pardus).
Well, let's see. If we look closely at the scientific names, we can see that the tiger is Panthera tigris and the lion is Panthera leo. So, it seems like they both belong to the same Panthera family. Therefore, the tiger and the lion are the more closely related ones. Perhaps they're even distant cousins who enjoy family reunions in the wild!
The tiger (Panthera tigris) and lion (Panthera leo) are more closely related to each other than either of them is to the domestic cat (Felis domesticus). This is because the tiger and lion belong to the same genus, Panthera, whereas the domestic cat belongs to a different genus called Felis.
In biological classification, species that belong to the same genus are considered to be closely related. The genus Panthera includes several big cat species, including the tiger, lion, leopard, and jaguar. These species share common ancestry and have similar anatomical and genetic traits.
On the other hand, the domestic cat belongs to the genus Felis, which includes smaller wildcat species like the European wildcat and the African wildcat. While domestic cats have evolved from wildcat ancestors, they have undergone significant genetic changes due to domestication.
Therefore, based on their scientific classifications and genetic relationships, the tiger and lion are more closely related to each other than either of them is to the domestic cat.
To determine which two species are more closely related, we can look at their scientific classifications. Species that share the same genus (the first part of the scientific name) are usually more closely related.
In this case, both the tiger (Panthera tigris) and the lion (Panthera leo) belong to the genus Panthera, while the cat (Felis domesticus) belongs to the genus Felis. Therefore, the tiger and the lion are more closely related to each other than either is to the cat.
The genus Panthera includes large cats that can roar, such as tigers, lions, leopards, and jaguars. On the other hand, the genus Felis includes smaller cats that cannot roar, such as domestic cats.
The shared genus Panthera indicates a closer evolutionary relationship between the tiger and the lion since they belong to the same group. In contrast, the cat, belonging to the genus Felis, is in a different group.