Parasitism is one of the most successful life strategies ever to evolve. Which of the following is consistent with this finding?
A) Parasites do not generally kill their hosts, thus they can feed on the same host throughout the host's normal life span and do not have competition from decomposers.
B) Parasites, unlike predators, feed on almost all the tissues of their host.
C) Parasites generally kill their host and can feed for a very long time because they are much smaller than their host.
D) Parasites almost always predigest their hosts' tissues and, therefore, spend less energy and require fewer structural adaptations.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Parasites that do not kill their hosts can continue to feed on the same host throughout its entire life span, providing a stable food source without competition from decomposers. This is a successful life strategy for parasites because it ensures a consistent source of nutrients without the need for frequent searching for new hosts.

Parasitism Is One of the Most Successful Life Strategies Ever