BIOLOGY Case study (4 Marks)

No, the number of eggs or young ones produced by an oviparous and viviparous mother respectively cannot be equal. Oviparous mother lays large number of eggs, as the eggs are laid outside the body, so they are not protected from predators and harsh environmental conditions, and therefore destroyed. However in viviparous mother, eggs are not laid outside, but the embryos develop inside the mother and thus are protected from the outside harsh environment, thus, the number of eggs produced are less. Therefore, the number of eggs or young ones produced by an oviparous and viviparous mother respectively cannot be equal.