Examine the relationships between the elephants in the figure below.Which one of the following pairs is most closely related?
A) Deinotherium and Platybelodon
B) Barytherium and Stegodon
C) Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis
D) Mammut and Stegodon

Question

Examine the relationships between the elephants in the figure below.Which one of the following pairs is most closely related? 
A) Deinotherium and Platybelodon 
B) Barytherium and Stegodon 
C) Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis 
D) Mammut and Stegodon

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis are both species in the genus Loxodonta, and therefore are the most closely related pair in the figure. Deinotherium and Platybelodon are both in the family Deinotheriidae, but they are not as closely related as the two species of Loxodonta. Barytherium and Stegodon are not in the same family or genus, and Mammut and Stegodon are not closely related as they are in different orders (Proboscidea and Perissodactyla, respectively).

Examine the Relationships Between the Elephants in the Figure Below