Question

The diagram below shows the offspring numbers for some r-selected and K-selected species: Image shows descriptions of species offspring numbers. From left to right is an oyster at 500 million a year; fish, tuna at 6,000 a year; frog at 200 a year; hare at 12 a year; large cat, puma, at 2 a year; and chimpanzee at 1 every 5 years. Which of the following organisms shown in the diagram would be identified as an r-selected species? Chimpanzee Hare Puma Tuna

Answer 1

The r-selected species in the diagram is Tuna as they have an offspring number of 6,000 per year, which is significantly higher than the other organisms listed.

r-selected species are characterized by high reproductive rates and short lifespans. They typically exploit environments with less competition and readily available resources.

Tuna fish have an offspring number of 6,000 per year, which is significantly higher than the other organisms listed. This high reproductive rate is a key characteristic of r-selected species.

Oysters, although having a high offspring number, are not considered r-selected due to their sessile lifestyle and long lifespan.

Frogs, hares, pumas, and chimpanzees all have offspring numbers that are much lower than tuna and are more typical of K-selected species, which focus on producing fewer offspring but investing more resources in each one.