Fig. 5From: The life history theory of the Lord of the Rings: a randomized controlled trial of using fact versus fiction to teach life history theoryLife history strategy continuum. Ecologists often put life history strategies on a continuum from fast to slow. Selection due to high levels of external mortality (like predation) select for fast life history strategies while low levels of external mortality but high levels of competition within a species tend to select for slow life history strategiesBack to article page