Question

You are doing a mark-recapture experiment to determine the population size of the MendAliens living on an island in my back yard. Initially, you catch and mark 130 MendAliens, which you then release. Next, you capture 90 MendAliens, of which 20 are marked. What is your estimate of the population size of MendAliens living on the island in my back yard?

Answer 1

First, let's add the options to complete the question then we will solve

29

14

585

130

234,000

THE ANSWER IS 585

Step-by-step explanation:

Formulae

N = (M1 x C) / M2

Where

N = population size

M1 = number marked in the first catch

C = the total number caught in the second catch

We are given

M1 = 130, C = 90, M2 = 20, N = ?

put the values into the formulae we have

(130 x 90) / 20 = 585

N = 585