You are studying salamanders to test if offspring fitness is affected by the number of eggs a female oviposits.What you learn is that females that lay more eggs produce smaller offspring.This is an example of ________ and means that there is __________ to high reproductive output for these salamanders.
A) r species; a benefit
B) a tradeoff; a cost
C) k species; a benefit
D) a tradeoff; an advantage

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The scenario described here is an example of a tradeoff, where there is a cost associated with greater reproductive output. The salamanders that produce more eggs have smaller offspring, which suggests that there are limited resources that must be divided among a greater number of offspring. Thus, the best choice is B, which describes a tradeoff with a cost. Neither A, C, nor D accurately describes the situation. A is incorrect because there is no mention of r-selected species, which generally have high reproductive rates and short lifespans. C is incorrect because there is no clear benefit to producing more eggs. Finally, D is incorrect because a "tradeoff with an advantage" is not a clearly defined term.

You Are Studying Salamanders to Test If Offspring Fitness Is