Chapter 17.1, Problem 7MI

Summary Introduction

To compare and determine:

Two animals that are most closely related from the given table of data.

Introduction:

Linnaeus’s system of classification was the first formal system of taxonomic organization. His method of naming organisms is called binomial nomenclature. Taxonomy is study of identifying, naming and classifying species based on natural relationships. The taxonomic categories are part of a nested hierarchal system- each category is contained within another, as they are arranged from broadest to most specific.

Answer to Problem 7MI

Coyote and wolf are most closely related as their classification is identical up to the level of genus. They differ only in the specific name.

Explanation of Solution

As per the given data, all the four animals; blue whale, domestic cat, coyote and wolf belong to the same kingdom, phylum and class. Blue whale diverges from the order onwards. The other three animals have the same order. Domestic cat then belongs to a different family so it diverges from family onwards. Coyote and wolf have same families, and genera. They differ in the species name. Hence they are most closely relatedto each other.