The Manx cat is in the domestic cat group, and the bobcat is in the lynx group. Both have a trait in common: short, stubby tails.

According to the phylogeny, which is the most parsimonious explanation for this common trait in these two species of cat?

Answer: Both share common ancestry

Explanation:

Though both cats are of different groups, the presence of an ananatomical similarity - short, stubby tails - suggest strongly that they share a common ancestry i. e evolved from the same organism who had lived many years before, and possess short, stubby tails alongside other traits no longer shared by both bobcat and Manx cat