Which of the following animals has a survivorship curve most similar to that of humans?

• A. Monkeys
• B. Elephants
• C. Birds
• D. Insects

Answer: (B)

Survivorship curves show how the chance of surviving changes as an organism ages. Humans follow a Type I pattern, with most individuals surviving childhood and adulthood and mortality rising sharply in old age. Elephants fit this same pattern because they live a long time, have strong parental care that reduces early-life deaths, and experience most mortality late in life. In contrast, many birds tend to have a Type II pattern with a more constant risk of death across ages, and insects typically show a Type III pattern with very high juvenile mortality and many offspring. So the elephant’s long lifespan and late-life mortality pattern most closely resemble humans.