Final answer:
Iteroparous animals have a variable number of offspring and survival chances according to their species' reproductive strategy, ranging from fewer, well-cared for offspring with high survival rates to many offspring with low survival rates due to lack of care.
Step-by-step explanation:
Iteroparous animals are those that can reproduce multiple times throughout their lives. Each time iteroparous animals reproduce, they produce variable numbers of offspring, and these offspring have a variable chance of surviving to adulthood, depending on the species survival strategy.
For example:
- Type I Strategists, like many large animals and humans, tend to have fewer offspring with a high survival chance, due to extensive parental care.
- Type II Strategists, like some birds, have a moderate number of offspring and some parental care, leading to a relatively uniform distribution of deaths throughout their lifetime.
- Type III Strategists, including many plants, invertebrates, and fish, have many offspring with a low survival chance, as they provide little to no care after birth.