Practice 5 Tigers, Panthera tigris, and lions, Panthera leo sometimes mate with each other if they are kept together in a zoo. The offspring are called ligers. Ligers are perfectly healthy, but are unable to reproduce. Use this information to write down: a one piece of evidence that lions and tigers are closely related __ two pieces of evidence that lions and tigers belong to different species. __

## Step 1<br />The first piece of evidence that lions and tigers are closely related is their ability to interbreed and produce viable offspring. This is a strong indication of their close genetic relationship. In biology, the ability of two different species to produce fertile offspring is a key characteristic of their close relationship. This is because the offspring, in this case ligers, are able to survive and reproduce, indicating that they have a high degree of genetic compatibility.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />The second piece of evidence that lions and tigers belong to different species is their inability to interbreed in the wild. This is a strong indication of their separate species status. In biology, the inability of two different species to interbreed and produce fertile offspring is a key characteristic of their separate species status. This is because the offspring, in this case ligers, are unable to reproduce, indicating that they have a low degree of genetic compatibility.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />The third piece of evidence that lions and tigers belong to different species is their distinct physical characteristics. This is a strong indication of their separate species status. In biology, the presence of distinct physical characteristics is a key characteristic of different species. This is because different species have different physical characteristics that allow them to survive in different environments.