Multiple Choice General Knowledge #1

I wonder who picked biltong?

I think you're referring to #11.

Look at the red panda. It looks more like a raccoon than a bear. And besides, looking at things is not really a great scientific approach.

Red pandas aren't really pandas though.

Wikipedia: "The red panda's place on the evolutionary tree has been debated, but modern genetic evidence places it in close affinity with raccoons, weasels and skunks. It is not closely related to the giant panda, which is a bear, though both possess elongated wrist bones or 'false thumbs' used for grasping bamboo."

I know. I was just pointing out that "look at it" is a bad approach. And it was fairly recently settled that even the giant panda is a bear. It also has characteristics of a raccoon, so there was debate in the scientific community about how to classify it. Obviously, its size and shape say "bear," but its teeth, snout, and grip are closer to those of the raccoon. I think it was on the basis of DNA coding that it was determined the panda is truly a bear. That's pretty much the opposite of "just look at it."

I'm pretty sure that it's still entirely arbitrary based on human perception. I don't think they're running around and cataloguing the genetic code of species to determine the correct lineage of species.

There's probably not a lot of running involved, but species do get reclassified when better (i.e. genetic) information makes clear that such a change is appropriate.