Here's why:
* Tiger cats and numbats are both marsupials, but they belong to different orders:
* Tiger cats (Dasyuridae) are carnivorous marsupials with a diverse range of species.
* Numbats (Myrmecobiidae) are highly specialized insectivores.
* Bandicoots (Peramelemorphia) are also marsupials, and their skull structure is remarkably similar to that of numbats. This similarity is due to their shared evolutionary history and adaptation to a similar diet of insects and other small invertebrates.
While tiger cats and numbats are both carnivores, their evolutionary paths have diverged significantly, leading to distinct skull structures. The resemblance between numbats and bandicoots is a result of convergent evolution – the development of similar traits in unrelated species due to similar environmental pressures and diets.