E2: Life Tables

Question 1

What is a life table?

Answer 1

Age-specific mortality schedule of a population.

Question 2

Who origionally developed life tables?

Answer 2

Human demographers working for insurance companies.

Question 3

What are the two kinds of life tables?

Answer 3

1. Cohort life tables
2. Static life tables

Question 4

What makes a cohort life table?

Answer 4

It is based on following a cohort throughout life.

Question 5

Provide an example of a cohort life table.

Answer 5

Song Sparrow on Mandarte Island - 78% die during first year interval

Question 6

What are the three types of survivorship curves?

Answer 6

Type I, type II, type III

Question 7

Describe a type I survivorship curve.

Answer 7

• low mortality for most of life
• higher losses of older organisms

Question 8

Provide an example of a type I survivorship curve.

Answer 8

Humans

Question 9

Describe a type II survivorship curve.

Answer 9

Constant rate of mortality

Question 10

Provide an example of a type II survivorship curve.

Answer 10

Small mammals

Question 11

Describe a type III survivorship curve

Answer 11

• high mortality early in life
• followed by lower or constant mortality rates

Question 12

Provide an example of a type III survivorship curve.

Answer 12

Invertebrates

Question 13

What makes a static life table?

Answer 13

Calculated from cross section of a population at a specific time, like a snapshot