Question

examine the relationships between the elephants in the accompanying figure. which pair is most closely related?

Answer 1

To determine which pair of elephants is most closely related, one should use a phylogenetic tree or cladogram to find the pair that shares the most recent common ancestor.

Step-by-step explanation:

To examine the relationships between elephants or to determine which pair of animals is most closely related, you would consult a phylogenetic tree or a cladogram. These tools illustrate the evolutionary relationships among various species, showing how closely related each species is based on common ancestors. In a cladogram, species that are closely related will have fewer branch points between them. To answer a question about the relatedness of different elephant species (for example, modern elephants and mammoths), you would look for the species that share the most recent common ancestor on the cladogram.

Without the accompanying figure, I cannot provide the specific answer to which pair is most closely related. However, you can look for the two elephant species that branch off from the same node, indicating they have diverged from a common ancestor more recently than others. If the task is to draw a cladogram, start by connecting the pairs that share the most traits, moving from most recent to oldest common ancestors.

Answer 2

Based on the phylogenetic tree you sent, the pair most closely related to each other is: Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis.

• The phylogenetic tree shows the evolutionary relationships between different elephant species.
• In the tree, Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis branch off together from a common ancestor, while all the other options branch off earlier.
• This means that Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis share a more recent common ancestor compared to any other pair in the options.
• Therefore, they are considered more closely related to each other than any other pair listed.

Here's the other options and why they are not the closest relatives:

• Mammut and Stegodon: These two species branch off earlier from the common ancestor of Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis.
• Deinotherium and Platybelodon: These two species belong to a different branch altogether, further away from the lineage of Loxodonta.
• Barytherium and Stegodon: While Stegodon is related to Barytherium to some extent, their most recent common ancestor is further back in the evolutionary history compared to the common ancestor of Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis.

Question:

Examine the relationships between the elephants in the accompanying figure. Which pair is most closely related?

a. Mammut and Stegodon

b. Deinotherium and Platybelodon

c. Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis

d. Barytherium and Stegodon