Describe how the method of fertilization and other reproductive strategies in mammals have contributed to their evolutionary success.
Describe how the method of fertilization and other reproductive strategies in mammals have contributed to their evolutionary success.
This question requires that you describe how the method of fertilization and reproductive strategies in mammals are of advantage to their survival on land.
In mammals, the mode of fertilization is internal and follows an act of copulation that transfers male gametes towards the female gametes.
Advantages of internal fertilization
- It reduces wastage of gametes and increases chances of reproduction.
- It follows a pleasurable act of copulation. This increases chances of its occurrence as animals always seek the opposite sex for pleasure derived from the act.
Reproductive strategies of survival importance in mammals include; courtship behavior, parental behavior and territorial behavior. These offer the following survival advantages
Advantages of parental behavior
- Young ones are given adequate protection by the adult. This increases their chances of survival into adult life.
- Less energy is usually lost in looking for food for the young ones as they are fed on milk from the mother.
- Young ones learn to avoid harmful situations and survival tactics from the adults. Theses increase their probability of survival into adult life.
Advantages of courtship behavior
- It stimulates organisms to sexual activity.
- It tightens pair bonding between the mating pair.
- It leads to rise in levels of productive hormones.
- It synchronizes gonad development, enabling gametes to mature at the same time to ensure that fertilization occurs when mating takes place.
- It synchronizes time to produce offspring in right seasons.
- It induces mating of individuals who accept each other. All the above advantages of courtship behavior contribute to increased chances of reproduction and hence in their evolutionary success.
Advantages of territorial behavior.
- Provides defense of an area in which organisms live against organisms of the same or different species. This reduces competition for resources.
- The mating pair of organisms of the same species and their offspring are well spaced to receive the available resource, e.g. food, space, shelter etc.
- Actual fighting between organisms which would be detrimental to the species is are and replaced by mere threats.
- It minimizes spread of diseases and parasites.
- Genes from strong organisms or the “fittest” are passed on to the next generation.
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