GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Organisms with heritable (genetically determined) features that help them survive and reproduce in a particular environment tend to leave more offspring than their peers. If this continues over generations, the heritable features that aid survival and reproduction will become more and more common in the population.

Detailed explanation-2: -The number of offspring produced is often related to the amount of parental care. Typically, the higher fecundity, the lower the amount of time parents devote to caring for the offspring. Animals have limited amounts of energy they can use for reproduction.

Detailed explanation-3: -Both the number and the size of offspring at birth are important fitness components. The size of offspring indicates quality, as it correlates positively with survival and breeding success [19, 25, 26], while litter size is adjusted to environmental conditions and is subject to balancing selection [25, 27, 28].

Detailed explanation-4: -Overproduction is a driving force in natural selection, as it can lead to adaptation and variations in a species. Darwin argued that all species overproduce, since they have more offspring than can realistically reach reproductive age, based on the resources available.

Detailed explanation-5: -Yes, it is true that offsprings born from sexual reproduction have better survival rates than those of asexual reproduction. This is because during sexual reproduction, the gametes of two parents, male and female, come together and fuse. Thus, the offspring has the genetic material of both the parents.