Which of the following species is most likely to have a Type III survivorship curve? a. humans, Homo sapiens b. common lizards, Zootoca vivipara c. thale cress plants, Arabidopsis thaliana d. lynx cats, Lynx canadensis

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of survivorship curves: Survivorship curves are graphs that show the proportion of individuals surviving at each age for a given species or group. Type III survivorship curves are characterized by high mortality rates early in life, with few individuals surviving to adulthood.
2. Analyze the options by considering their life history traits: Species with a Type III curve typically produce many offspring but provide little or no care, resulting in high juvenile mortality.
3. Evaluate each species: a. Humans (Homo sapiens) typically have low mortality rates in early life and provide extensive parental care, indicative of a Type I survivorship curve. b. Common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) might seem a likely candidate, but they exhibit some parental care and have a relatively moderate juvenile mortality. c. Thale cress plants (Arabidopsis thaliana) produce a large number of seeds with minimal investment in each, leading to high mortality rates in seedlings. d. Lynx cats (Lynx canadensis) have moderate parental care and juvenile survival rates, not fitting the high early mortality of Type III curves.
4. Conclude the most likely candidate: Based on the characteristics of Type III curves and the life history traits of the given options, thale cress plants (Arabidopsis thaliana) are most likely to exhibit a Type III survivorship curve due to their reproductive strategy of producing many seeds with high early life mortality.
5. Final answer: c. thale cress plants, Arabidopsis thaliana

Key Concepts

Survivorship Curves

Survivorship curves are graphical representations that show the number of individuals surviving at each age for a given species. They are categorized into three types: Type I, Type II, and Type III. Type III curves typically indicate high mortality rates in early life stages, with few individuals surviving to adulthood, which is common in species that produce many offspring.

Type III Survivorship

Type III survivorship is characterized by a high number of offspring with low survival rates during early life. Species exhibiting this curve often invest little parental care, leading to a strategy where many offspring are produced to ensure that at least some survive to maturity. This strategy is common in organisms like plants and certain fish, which produce large quantities of seeds or eggs.

Reproductive Strategies

Reproductive strategies refer to the methods by which species reproduce and raise their young, influencing their survivorship curves. Species can be classified as r-selected, which produce many offspring with low survival rates (Type III), or K-selected, which produce fewer offspring with higher survival rates (Type I). Understanding these strategies helps in predicting the survivorship patterns of different species.