Brockmann and others (1979) studied female digger wasps' (Sphex ichneumoneus) alternative nesting strategies (digging her own nest or entering an existing burrow) and their outcomes. They found no significant difference between the reproductive successes of wasps using a dig strategy and wasps using an enter strategy. This indicates that the nesting strategies are
A) a mixed ESS.
B) a pure ESS.
C) consciously planned.
D) frequency independent.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A mixed Evolutionarily Stable Strategy (ESS) implies that multiple strategies coexist in a population because they yield equivalent fitness outcomes. Since both digging and entering strategies result in similar reproductive success, they can coexist without one outcompeting the other, characterizing a mixed ESS.

Brockmann and Others (1979) Studied Female Digger Wasps' (Sphex Ichneumoneus)