An octopus reproduces only once in its life, but it may have more than 100,000 offspring, depending on the species. Certain spec
ies of penguin, by contrast, have only one chick at a time. If some species can reproduce as rapidly as the octopus (100,000 offspring every 3 or 4 years), how is it possible that a species that has only one young at a time is equally successful? A.
Having a large number of offspring assures that at least some of them will escape being killed by predators.
B.
An octopus only reproduces one time, but penguins may reproduce between 4 and 12 times in their lives.
C.
The success of a species depends on the number of offspring that survive long enough to reproduce.
D.
Baby penguins are left to fend for themselves from the time they hatch, so they quickly become self-sufficient.
<em>The correct option is C) The success of a species depends on the number of offspring that survive long enough to reproduce.</em>
Explanation:
Some species of animals such as the octopus might give rise to many offspring, but these offspring might not survive due to different reasons. Only a few of them will be able to survive until the age where they can reproduce.
On the other hand, the survival rate of offspring which are formed in lesser numbers is more. These offspring are taken care of by their parents usually or are better adapted to live in the environment. Hence, their survival rate is more.
