Could more salamanders from the ambystoma be more closely related than necturus the mud puppy and the newt?

Answer 1

Yes, more salamanders from the genus Ambystoma are likely to be more closely related to each other than to Necturus (the mud puppy) or newts, as Ambystoma species share a more recent common ancestor. Ambystoma is a distinct group within the family Ambystomatidae, while Necturus belongs to a different family, Proteidae, and newts are classified under the family Salamandridae. This evolutionary divergence means that Ambystoma salamanders are more genetically similar to one another than to representatives from other salamander families.