Question

how does this evidence support the claim that smilodon is more closely related to lions tha to camels? complete the paragraph.
based on the pictures and table, smilodon and camels have more similarities in their anatomy than smilodon and lions have. this suggests that smilodon and have more similar dna and evolved from a more common

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze the table

The table shows that Smilodon and lions share the characteristic of sharp, pointed teeth, while Smilodon and camels share two - toed hooves and a long, curved neck. But in terms of the claim that Smilodon is more closely related to lions, we need to consider the principle that more shared characteristics (especially in key features for classification) imply closer genetic relatedness.

Step2: Fill in the blanks

Based on the principle of evolution and genetics (more similar anatomy often implies more similar DNA), since the claim is that Smilodon is more closely related to lions, we should fill the first blank with “fewer” (because if Smilodon is more related to lions, it should have fewer similarities with camels in this context of proving the claim). The second blank should be “lions” (as the claim is about the relationship between Smilodon and lions). The third blank should be “recent” (because more closely related species evolved from a more recent common ancestor).

Answer:

Based on the pictures and table, Smilodon and camels have fewer similarities in their anatomy than Smilodon and lions have. This suggests that Smilodon and lions have more similar DNA and evolved from a more recent common ancestor.