Why is it more common to see a two headed snake or turtle but rare to see a two headed lion or shark?
In: Biology
Different reproductive strategies. Snakes and turtles make more babies to ensure survival. Apex predators make one or two and invest time and care to ensure survival. The higher frequency of reproduction larger numbers of offspring makes random mutations and congenital mistakes more frequent as well.
I’m also going to hazard another guess as to why more of these mutations make it past the first few days of life in animals like snakes and turtles: higher order predators require more organization in hunting, speed, and other physical abilities to catch live, moving prey. Could it be that animals that tend to graze on plants or prey on eggs/immobile baby animals have an easier time adapting to these mutations?
Latest Answers