Question

compare the advantages and disadvantages of direct and indirect development

Answer 1

In direct development, an animal is born as smaller version of the adult, without attaining a larval stage. It is, therefore, metamorphosis is absent. In animals in which direct development occur may have a large amount of yolk in order to feed the young or the young may fed directly by the mother's body. Both these methods of feeding the young needs high energy from the mother. Hence, the number of offspring is less in number. It occurs in fishes, reptiles, birds, and mammals. It occurs in most of the invertebrates and amphibians.

Indirect development is a type of development that involves a sexually immature larval stage. Larva then metamorphosed to a sexually-mature adult. Animals in which indirect development occurs, lay large number of eggs, each egg having very less amount of yolk. Due to the small amount of yolk, the larva develops and hatches rapidly. Hence, large number of offspring produced. Examples are most of the invertebrates and amphibian