Final answer:
A cohort life table is developed by ecologists to track the entire lifespan of a group of individuals from the same generation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ecologists develop a cohort life table to follow the fate of a group of individuals, who were all born at a given time, from birth to death. Life tables are vital tools that provide essential information regarding the life history of an organism, including mortality rates and life expectancy at various age intervals. These tables are useful for understanding population dynamics and are structured similarly to actuarial tables used in the insurance industry. For example, in a study of Dall mountain sheep, life tables were used to analyze the population divided into age intervals, indicating mortality rates and life expectancy for the sheep at each stage of life. A high mortality rate was observed at certain life stages, providing insights into the survival challenges faced by the population.