More generally, how come animals from a single species are more closely related even though some of them might “look” more similar to another species ?
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Because there is a lot more to speciation that just outward appearances. Consider the behavior of a wolf vs the behavior of domesticated dogs. Sure a husky looks like a wolf, but does it act like one? All of those behavioral differences are a result of genetics and human selection (as opposed to natural selection) over the course of millenia.
What you’re asking about comes down to something in genetics called genotype vs phenotype. Phenotype is the combination of unique traits and outward appearances of an individual (the Chihuahua phenotype versus the Husky phenotype). Genotype is the total accounting of all the genes that make of a species (the genetic differences between a domesticated dog and a wolf).
Because the chihuahua and the husky are both descended from early domesticated dogs. Their shared ancestry is more recent than their ancestry with wild wolves.
Similarly, no matter how much like you your cousin looks, you are less strongly related to them than to your siblings.
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