Question

At what level do the blue whale and the cat diverge?
Classification of representative mammals:

Kingdom	Animalia	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata	Chordata
Class	Mammalia	Mammalia
Order	Cetacea	Carnivora
Family	Mysticeti	felidae
Genus	Balanophora	Felis
Species	B.physalus	F.catus
Common name	Blue Whale	Cat

A) Family
B) Kingdom
C) Species
D) Order
E) Class

Answer 1

The classification of the animals is made on the basis of similar physical characteristics. The hierarchy begins with the Kingdom animalia followed by phylum, class, order, family, genus and species.

Complete answer:
To answer this question, we must know about the classification of the two species of cat and the blue whale.

Carolus Linnaeus devised the method of classifying animals into different hierarchies based on the physical characteristics. The hierarchy groups are called taxa.

In the question given that the blue whale and cat are related upto which taxonomic level.The blue whale and cat both belong to kingdom Animalia and both are chordates which mean that they have notochord. Blue whales and cats are mammals (class) as they lay eggs and feed their young ones by their milk.The blue whale belongs to the order Cetacea and family Mysticeti but the cat belongs to the order Carnivora and felidae family. The scientific name of the blue whale is Balanophora physalus and that of cat is Felis catus.

Thus the correct answer is option (D). The blue whale and the cat diverge at the order level.

Note: By the help of classification, similar species are placed together in one category which helps in studying the characteristics- similarity and dissimilarity. Study of one species helps in studying the organisms belonging to that group.