Question

A friend claims her pet ferret is descended from the wild polecat. You want to learn more about this ferret ancestor. An online search shows several different kinds of polecats. How could you figure out which one is the ferret ancestor?

Answer 1

In order to identify the most recent common ancestor of an animal, the physical and genetic makeup of the organisms must be compared. The two organisms must have striking similarities in order to be considered as closely related.

Despite the difference in their size, the domestic ferret has a great resemblance with the features of an Eastern European polecat. In addition, they have the ability to cross-breed with polecats. Therefore, the most recent ancestor of the ferret is the Eastern European polecat.


This took a long time to type cuz I am a slow typer. But I hope I got the answer correct! Hope you have a great day!:)