Living BeingsCompare species
Volvox carteri
Volvox carteri
African Savanna Elephant
Loxodonta africana
How to compare two organisms
Choose two species and trace their closest shared group. Then compare a trait with the same definition on each side. Check the units, life stage and context before interpreting a measurement or range.
Missing data means that the collection lacks a sourced value. Where a characteristic does not apply to a lineage, the comparison labels it separately. Open the two profiles for context and follow their sources before drawing a conclusion.
Evidence from the profiles
Compare their characteristics
| Trait | Volvox carteri | African Savanna Elephant |
|---|---|---|
| Physical traits | Many small cells form the surface of a spheroid held together by extracellular material. Larger developing daughter spheroids can be visible inside. | Broad ears, a long trunk and column-like legs give the animal its familiar outline. The trunk tip has two finger-like projections. Both sexes can develop tusks. |
| Habitat and range | A freshwater organism. The cited field study established cultures from water samples collected in northern Taiwan. | Savannas and open woodland provide a shifting mixture of browse, grass, shade and drinking water. Seasonal water availability influences the places that herds use. |
| Diet and nutrition | Green cells carry out photosynthesis, using light to support growth. | Grasses, leaves, bark and other plant material make up its diet. The trunk gathers food and moves it to the mouth. |
| Behavior and activity | Surface cells contribute to movement and responses to light, while reproductive cells have a different developmental role. | Female relatives and their young form long-lasting social groups. Older females hold knowledge of familiar routes and resources; adult males have a different pattern of association. |
| Reproduction and life cycle | Reproductive cells generate new spheroids during asexual growth. Sexual development introduces male and female forms, with variation documented among natural strains. | Calves are born alive and depend on milk and extended social care. Learning from other elephants is an important part of growing up. |
| Geographic distribution | Natural populations are documented in Taiwan as well as previously studied Japanese material. Laboratory strains do not define the entire species range. | Native to sub-Saharan Africa. This account follows the savanna-elephant species concept rather than treating all African elephants as one species. |
| Ecological role | Data unavailable | Feeding and movement alter vegetation, and dung transfers seeds and nutrients. Habitat fragmentation and killing for ivory threaten populations. |
| Distinctive adaptations | Specialization of cell types illustrates division of labor within a single multicellular lineage. As a green alga it belongs within the source-backed green-plant lineage, not an invented catch-all kingdom. | Data unavailable |
Classification
Shared ancestry
Closest shared taxon: Eukaryota.