there are 16 marked whales
there are 70 whales counted
and 10 marked whales counted
what would be the best estimate for the population
The best estimate for the population of whales would be to use the Lincoln-Petersen Index (also known as the Petersen-Lincoln Index). The formula for this index is:
N = (M * C) / R
Where:
N = population size
M = number of marked individuals in first sample
C = total number of individuals in second sample
R = number of marked individuals recaptured in second sample
Using the given information, we have:
M = 16 (number of marked whales)
C = 70 (total number of whales counted)
R = 10 (number of marked whales counted in second sample)
Plugging the values into the formula:
N = (16 * 70) / 10
N = 1,120 / 10
N = 112
Therefore, the best estimate for the whale population based on this method is 112.