It is impossible to model population dynamics of extinct plants and animals by u

Question

It is impossible to model population dynamics of extinct plants and animals by using a cohort (dynamic) life table approach. Instead, a static life table can be constructed if age of each animal at the time of its death can be determined. This approach is used, for example, to reconstruct life histories of dinosaurs. A fossil assemblage containing the remains of 83 individuals of a dinosaur Psittacosaurus that lived in China in early Cretaceous was recently studied and the age of each individual at death was determined from the size of its bones. The table shows age distribution in this fossil assemblage. In your Excel file create a worksheet "Dinosaurs" and construct a static life table with n_x, l_x, d_x, q_x, and columns. Construct the survivorship plot.

Explanation / Answer

l_x: the number of people who survive to age x
d_x: the number of people who die aged x last birthday
q_x: the probability that someone aged exactly x will die before reaching age (x+1)
s_x: survival rate

Dinosaurs Age (in years) Number of individuals 1 34 2 10 3 5 4 4 5 3 6 4 7 6 8 5 9 6 10 3 11 2 12 1 13 0

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