On r- and K-Selection

Abstract

Eric Pianka proposed two types of natural selection, ‘r-selection’ and ‘K-selection’, based on their effects on the life history of an organism. ‘r-selected’ organisms have a high rate of population growth and are adapted to unstable environments, while ‘K-selected’ organisms are adapted to stable environments and have a low rate of population growth. Pianka argued that organisms can be positioned on a continuum between these two extremes, and that the position of an organism on this continuum is a result of the ecological and evolutionary factors influencing it. – AI-generated abstract.