R/K selection theory

Ecological theory concerning the selection of life history traits

The r/K selection theory is an evolutionary hypothesis examining the selection of traits in an organism that trade off between quantity and quality of offspring. Species which produce more offspring at the expense of reduced individual parental investment are termed r-strategists, while those which make greater parental investment at the expense of a reduced quantity of offspring are termed K-strategists. The occurrence of the two varies widely, seemingly to promote success in particular environments.

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