Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!

Home › Understanding and Predicting Changes in Population Size – Exponential and Logistic Population Growth Models vs. Complex Reality ›

Reply to comment

Gamal Sherif's picture

Rabbits and genetic variability

Submitted by Gamal Sherif (guest) on Mon, 04/21/2014 - 5:57am.

re: "Rabbits can also show exponential population growth. A female cottontail rabbit begins reproducing by one year of age and typically has 3-4 litters of 4-5 baby rabbits each breeding season. A cottontail rabbit can live up to 8 years in captivity. If a population begins with a pair of breeding adults, and the rabbits have maximum reproduction and survival, how many rabbits do you think there would be after six years (just guessing, without calculating)?"

Why is it that the rabbits' offspring can interbreed with little or no mutation? Is there enough genetic variability so that the offspring from the first pair of rabbits are able to successfully produce healthy offspring?

Reply

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.
2 + 6 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.

Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities

Scanning electron microscope image of SARS-CoV-2

Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities has 50 remote-ready activities, which work for either your classroom or remote teaching.

Narrative is determined not by a desire to narrate but by a desire to exchange. (Roland Barthes, S/Z)

What's New? Subscribe to Serendip Studio