Figure 51.1
-In the figure above, which of the following survivorship curves implies that an animal may lay thousands of eggs, of which a regular number die each year?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Curve B represents a high mortality rate for young individuals and a high number of offspring per individual, indicating that the organism has a "big-bang" reproduction strategy where they produce a large number of offspring with the expectation that only a small fraction will survive to adulthood. This is common among many invertebrates, such as insects and mollusks. Curve A represents an organism with low mortality rates early in life and a long life span, characteristic of many mammals such as primates and elephants. Curve C represents an organism with high mortality rates throughout its lifespan, such as plants or certain fish species. None of these curves represent an organism that lays thousands of eggs.

Figure 51.1 -In the Figure Above, Which of the Following Survivorship Curves