A mammalogist tracks a lion pride and notes that its size grows exponentially, doubling every 3 years. If the pride has 18 lions today, how many lions were there 6 years ago?

Sat, 02 May 2026 23:05:24 +0000

A Mammalogist Tracks an Exploding Lion Pride: How Many Lions Were There 6 Years Ago? In a compelling study of lion population dynamics, a dedicated mammalogist observes that a proud lion pride doubles in size every 3 years. With current population at 18 lions, researchers wondered: how many lions ruled this pride 6 years ago? Understanding exponential growth is key to unraveling this mystery. When a population doubles every fixed period—here, every 3 years—tracking back involves working backward through successive halving. The math behind the growth:
The population doubles every 3 years, so in 6 years, which spans two 3-year intervals, the pride’s size has doubled twice. To find the ancestral number of lions, divide the current population by 2 twice: