[Campbell Biology P.1243] Based on the survivorship curve shown for female Belding's ground s... | Practice Question

Based on the survivorship curve shown for female Belding's ground squirrels in Figure 53.4 and the descriptions of idealized curves in the text, which type of survivorship curve do these squirrels primarily exhibit?

  • A: Type I
  • B: Type II
  • C: Type III
  • D: A combination of Type I and Type III

Explanation

The text explicitly states that "Type II curves are intermediate, with a constant death rate over the organism's life span. This kind of survivorship occurs in Belding's ground squirrels". This is consistent with the approximately straight line observed in Figure 53.4 when the y-axis is on a logarithmic scale.