What is parental investment in regard to offspring survival?

Parental investment refers to the resources and energy that parents allocate to the care and nurturing of their offspring, which can significantly influence the survival chances of those offspring. Higher levels of parental investment can include providing food, protection, teaching skills necessary for survival, and ensuring the young have a suitable environment to grow. These actions increase the likelihood that the offspring will reach maturity and reproduce successfully.

When parents dedicate substantial energy and resources to their young, they enhance the offspring's chance of survival, making parental investment a crucial factor in evolutionary biology.

The other options do not address the specific concept of parental investment as it relates to the resources allocated by parents. For instance, while the risk of predation is a factor in the survival of offspring, it does not directly describe the investment made by parents. The number of offspring produced might relate to reproductive strategies but does not reflect the quality of care or resources provided to each individual offspring. Lastly, genetic diversity among offspring can benefit a population but does not specifically refer to parental efforts in nurturing or supporting their young.