Question

An adaptation of a K-selected species, such as an elephant, is:

a) To have many offspring but offer little parental support/energy.
b) To have few offspring but offer little parental support/energy.
c) To have one offspring at a time and invest energy to ensure survival.
d) To have small litters of offspring (4-6), with moderate amounts of parental support/energy.

Answer 1

The adaptation of K-selected species such as elephants is to have few offspring and provide them with extensive parental support and energy to ensure their survival.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct adaptation of a K-selected species like an elephant is to have few offspring and invest substantial parental support/energy to ensure their survival. K-selected species are characterized by their adaptations to stable and predictable environments, where they live close to their carrying capacity, and intra-specific competition is high. Having fewer, larger offspring allows these species to devote more resources to each one, thus increasing their chances of survival.

Elephants, for example, have long gestation periods and provide long-term care to their offspring, helping them to develop the necessary skills to compete for natural resources. The offspring are relatively helpless and immature at birth, but they receive a lot of resources and support from their parents to increase their chances of survival.