Graphing The Data: Lizard Offspring Number Versus Offspring Mass
The common lizard (Lacerta vivipara) can produce 2 to 15 offspring in a single breeding event. Using the following data, use a scatter graph to illustrate the relationship between the number of lizard offspring and the average mass of a lizard’s offspring. (You can review scatterplots in the graphing appendix.) After graphing the relationship, describe the relationship in words.
| OFFSPRING NUMBER | OFFSPRING MASS (g) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 242 |
| 3 | 238 |
| 4 | 230 |
| 5 | 223 |
| 6 | 207 |
| 7 | 200 |
| 8 | 189 |
| 9 | 180 |
| 10 | 173 |
| 11 | 157 |
| 12 | 150 |
| 13 | 142 |
| 14 | 138 |
| 15 | 130 |
Lizards that produce a larger number of eggs do so by producing smaller eggs.