Question

What is the adaptation of a k-selected species, such as an elephant?

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

A k-selected species like an elephant is adapted to have few offspring, typically one at a time, with substantial parental care to ensure high survival rates. Elephants have long gestation periods and provide extensive care to their relatively helpless calves, reflecting a strategy suited for stable environments where competition for resources is intense.

Step-by-step explanation:

The adaptation of a k-selected species, such as an elephant, is to have few offspring at a time and invest significant energy to ensure their survival. This strategy involves long-term parental care, with the aim to increase the probability that the offspring will reach maturity and reproduce themselves. K-selected species are typically found in stable, predictable environments where populations tend to exist close to their carrying capacity.

Elephants are prime examples of this reproductive strategy. They give birth to one large but relatively helpless calf after a long gestation period and then provide extensive parental care to aid the calf's development. This long-term investment in a single offspring at a time means that the death of an offspring represents a significant loss to the parents' reproductive success, thus they invest heavily in each calf to enhance its chances of survival.