answersLogoWhite

0

What else can I help you with?

Continue Learning about Math & Arithmetic

How did the cicadas decide that they would wait a prime number of year before emerging?

To think of cicadas as "deciding" something is anthropomorphizing; that is, using words that describe human attributions with things that don't really think as humans do. What probably happened is that those cicadas which happened to have a prime number cycle tended to avoid having predators match their periodic appearances and so increased relative to those that didn't, and as a consequence, got eaten. This is Natural Selection. Incidently, only Periodic cicadas have prime number cycles (17 or 13 years); there are also Annual cicadas which as their name implies, appear every year.


What other theories have been put forward to explain why cicadas wait a prime number of years before emerging?

The periodic cicadas spend most of their lives as underground nymphs, only emerging after 13 or 17 years, most likely to reduce losses by satiating their predators.The evolutionary strategy used by cicadas of the genus Magicicada make use of prime numbers. These insects spend most of their lives as grubs underground. They only pupate and then emerge from their burrows after 7, 13 or 17 years, at which point they fly about, breed, and then die after a few weeks at most. The logic for this is believed to be that the prime number intervals between emergences make it very difficult for predators to evolve that could specialize as predators on Magicicadas. If Magicicadas appeared at a non-prime number intervals, say every 12 years, then predators appearing every 2, 3, 4, 6, or 12 years would be sure to meet them. Over a 200-year period, average predator populations during hypothetical outbreaks of 14- and 15-year cicadas would be up to 2% higher than during outbreaks of 13- and 17-year cicadas. Though small, this advantage appears to have been enough to drive natural selection in favor of a prime-numbered life-cycle for these insects.


Why do cicadas wait a prime number of years before coming out?

Cicadas likely evolved to have prime-numbered life cycles as a strategy to avoid synchronization with other insect species or predators. By having longer life cycles that are not easily divisible by other common periods, cicadas can reduce competition and increase their chances of survival and reproduction. This unique adaptation may have provided an evolutionary advantage, leading to the prevalence of prime-numbered life cycles among cicadas.


What other theories have been put forward to explain why cicadas wait prime number of years before emeging?

I dont now i need some one to tell me :(


Do they have the commonwealth games every 2 years or 4 years?

The commonwealth games happen every four years.

Related Questions

Why do cicadas come out during prime number years?

Suppose the cicadas come out every C years and a predator comes out every P years. Then the life cycles of the predator and the cicadas will coincide every LCM(C, P) years. The predator will want it to happen as often as possible while the cicadas want that to happen as seldom as possible. If C is co-prime with P then the cycles coincide after CP years - which is best for the cicada.Suppose the cicadas come out every C years and a predator comes out every P years. Then the life cycles of the predator and the cicadas will coincide every LCM(C, P) years. The predator will want it to happen as often as possible while the cicadas want that to happen as seldom as possible. If C is co-prime with P then the cycles coincide after CP years - which is best for the cicada.Suppose the cicadas come out every C years and a predator comes out every P years. Then the life cycles of the predator and the cicadas will coincide every LCM(C, P) years. The predator will want it to happen as often as possible while the cicadas want that to happen as seldom as possible. If C is co-prime with P then the cycles coincide after CP years - which is best for the cicada.Suppose the cicadas come out every C years and a predator comes out every P years. Then the life cycles of the predator and the cicadas will coincide every LCM(C, P) years. The predator will want it to happen as often as possible while the cicadas want that to happen as seldom as possible. If C is co-prime with P then the cycles coincide after CP years - which is best for the cicada.


What insect comes out every 7 years?

Cicadas


What insect wakes up every 13 to 17 years?

You probably mean cicadas that remain underground for 17 years, emerge, lay eggs and die


Is it true some cicadas emerge each summer?

Yes, some cicadas have annual life cycles that result in them emerging each summer. These cicadas are known as annual cicadas and typically have shorter life cycles compared to periodical cicadas, which emerge in specific years in large numbers.


When do cicadas sleep?

Cicadas spend most of their lives sleeping. They wake up for a few weeks, mate and then die. They only show up every 13 or 17 years.


What are those huge bugs called that appears every 3 or 4 years called?

They are called cicadas


What happens every seventeen years?

Every seventeen years, a species of cicadas known as periodical cicadas emerge from the ground in large numbers, primarily in the eastern United States. This emergence occurs in synchronized cycles, with different broods appearing in different years, but the most famous are the 17-year cicadas from Brood X. These cicadas spend most of their lives underground as nymphs before emerging as adults to mate, lay eggs, and then die shortly after, a phenomenon that creates a significant impact on local ecosystems.


What is a group of cicadas called?

A group of cicadas is called a "brood." Cicadas are known for their synchronized emergence in large numbers, typically every 13 or 17 years depending on the species. These periodic mass emergences are a survival strategy that overwhelms predators and increases the chances of successful mating for the cicadas.


Do all cicadas stay underground for 17 years?

No, not all cicadas stay underground for 17 years. There are different species of cicadas that have different life cycles, ranging from 2 to 17 years underground before emerging as adults.


How often do cicadas appear?

ANSWER:They appear about 7-9 years. Some larvae stay underground for 13 years and others for 17 years.


How many years will colony and kaine occur in the same summer again if colony has 3 years of reunions and kaine has 4 yrs of reunions?

Every twelve years they will coincide.


How many times in the next 90 years will both presidential election and census occur in the same year?

the census is every 10 years, the presidential election is every 4....that means they coincide every 20 years. (2020, 2040, 2060, 2080, 2100......)