If each breeding pair of elephants produces 6 offspring during a 90-year life span, in 750 years, a single pair of elephants will have given rise to a population of 19 million elephants. Yet elephants have not overrun the planet. WHY?
A) Elephants have a niche that expands with the population
B) Elephants produce more offspring than will survive to maturity
C) Most elephants are kept in captivity (circus & zoo) and not allowed to reproduce
D) Individual elephants in a population exhibit no variation, reducing their reproductive success
E) Elephants have become geographically separated into separate species that cannot interbreed

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is because not all offspring survive to maturity due to factors such as predation, disease, and competition for resources. This keeps the population in check and prevents them from overrunning the planet.

If Each Breeding Pair of Elephants Produces 6 Offspring During