Scientists once thought the giant panda was a type of bear. Later, scientists classified giant pandas as relatives of the bear and lesser pandas as relatives of the
raccoon. The diagram below shows the revised classification
PANDA CLASSIFICATION
Brown Bear
Sun Bear
Spectacled Bear
Giant Panda
Lesser Panda
Raccoon
Dog
100
80 60 40 20
Millions of Years Ago
Which type of evidence would provide the best support for this classification?
o A. Giant pandas and lesser pandas began to occupy different habitats.
O B. Giant pandas and lesser pandas began to eat different types of foods.
OC. Giant pandas share more genes with bears, while lesser pandas share more genes with raccoons.
o D. Giant pandas and lesser pandas developed different types of mating behaviors.
