Life history theory

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/life-history-theory

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the theoretical foundation?An evolutionary framework explaining resource allocation to survival, growth, and reproduction
2. What is the key evolutionary mechanism?Natural selection optimizes life history traits to maximize fitness across generations
3. Why do some animals have only one big baby-making event?Some animals, like Pacific salmon, spend all their energy on one huge reproductive event and then die. This strategy is called semelparity. It works well when the chance of surviving to have more babies is low.
4. How does the environment change a species' life history?In safe, stable places, animals may grow slowly, have fewer babies, and live longer. In dangerous or unpredictable places, they may grow fast, have many babies, and live shorter lives. The environment tells them the best way to use their resources.

Semelparity: Reproducing only once in an organism's lifetime, often with massive investment.
Iteroparity: Reproducing multiple times throughout an organism's lifespan.
Evolutionary Fitness: An organism's ability to survive and reproduce, passing genes to the next generation.
Parental Investment: The energy and time an organism expends caring for its offspring.