Observe two different animals in your immediate environment. What features help you distinguish between them? How do these features help place them into different groups?
Two animals I observe are an owl and a tiger. I can distinguish them using external features such as shape, size, and body organisation. For example, the owl has feathers and is seen on a tree, while the tiger is seen on the forest floor with a different body shape.
These features help place them into different groups depending on the criterion chosen. If we use external features like the presence of feathers, the owl and tiger fall into different groups. However, if we change the criterion to mode of nutrition or eating habits, both can be placed in the same group as carnivores. Thus, the same organisms can fit into different groups depending on the features used for classification.
Explanation
The answer uses the specific examples of an owl and a tiger, which are both mentioned in the provided context (Table 12.1 and Table 12.2). It correctly identifies 'external features' like feathers, shape, and size as distinguishing characteristics, as outlined in section 12.3.1. It then explains how these features lead to grouping by referencing the core concept from the text that organisms can fit into different groups depending on the chosen criterion, such as shifting from external features to 'mode of nutrition' or eating habits (carnivore).