Mice that experience stress such as a food shortage will sometimes abandon their young. Explain how this behavior might have evolved in the context of reproductive trade-offs and life history.

The k-selection and r-selection represent life history and are attributed to the concept of carrying capacity. The parental care, clutch size, reproductive trade-off, and age at maturity determine life-history characteristics.

K selection produces fewer offspring and has a longer lifespan.The k-selection largely determines selection for advantageous traits at high densities and operates in populations at a density near the restrictions of resources, and competition is more among organisms.

R selection produces more offspring but has a shorter lifespan.The r-selection largely determines selection for traits that maximize reproductive success in low densities and intrinsic rate of increase and operate in populations below carrying capacity.

These organisms face little competition as resources are available and found in disturbed habitats that are being recolonized.

If the parents' survival is compromised largely by abandoning young ones due to stress such as food shortage, the fitness may increase and survive to reproduce healthy young ones later. The fitness can be preserved for later use in producing healthier babies.