Final answer:
Heavy predation on large, mature individuals should favor the evolution of greater offspring number, as this strategy increases the chances of some offspring surviving to continue the species.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to life-history theory, heavy predation on large, mature individuals should favor the evolution of greater offspring number. This strategy allows species to ensure that at least some offspring survive despite high predation levels. When large, mature individuals are heavily preyed upon, increasing the number of offspring can be an advantageous strategy. This is because having more offspring increases the chances of some surviving to continue the species, even though the parent might not survive long due to predation.
Life-history strategies involve the allocation of energy to growth, maintenance, and reproduction and are shaped by natural selection. Species with high predation pressure may engage in semelparity, where they reproduce only once but produce many offspring in that single event, to maximize the likelihood of offspring survival. On the other hand, organisms that begin reproducing at later stages of life might produce fewer but more viable offspring, with better parental care, which can be beneficial when the risk of predation is lower.