What survival strategy proved most resilient for the whitetail during Pleistocene extinctions?
Answer
Generalized survival strategy favoring generalized fitness
During the intense selective pressures exerted by the Pleistocene extinctions, which involved dramatic climate warming and subsequent vegetation changes, the white-tailed deer's generalized survival strategy proved superior to that of highly specialized herbivores. Their evolutionary path had favored generalized fitness—the ability to cope adequately across varied conditions—rather than peak performance in one specific role. This resilience allowed them to maintain a foothold while many larger, more specialized megafauna disappeared because they were not overly dependent on specific, fragile food sources or environmental constants.
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