What is the projected population over a period of 340 years in a region which begins with three couples?
How many progeny per couple?
Incest might wipe out a great many of these progeny.
What is the length of the generations?
What species is doing this reproduction?
To project the population over a period of 340 years, you would need to consider the rate of population growth and the starting population. In this case, we start with three couples.
To calculate the projected population, we first need to determine the population growth rate. This can be done by estimating the average number of children per couple and the average lifespan in the region. Let's assume for this example that each couple has an average of 2 children and that the average lifespan is 70 years.
Next, we need to determine the number of generations that will pass in 340 years. To do this, we divide the given time period by the average lifespan. 340 years / 70 years per generation = approximately 4.86 generations. Since we cannot have a fraction of a generation, we can round this value to the nearest whole number to get 5 generations.
Now, we can calculate the population growth over the 340-year period. Starting with 3 couples, we can determine the number of individuals in each subsequent generation as follows:
Generation 1: 3 couples x 2 children per couple = 6 individuals
Generation 2: 6 individuals x 2 children per couple = 12 individuals
Generation 3: 12 individuals x 2 children per couple = 24 individuals
Generation 4: 24 individuals x 2 children per couple = 48 individuals
Generation 5: 48 individuals x 2 children per couple = 96 individuals
Therefore, after 340 years, starting with three couples, the projected population in the region would be 96 individuals.