Larger is not better: no mate preference by European common frog (Rana temporaria) males

What is it about?

In the last decade the possibility of male mate choice as a sexual selective force became the focus of several studies. Preferences for certain traits are considered a prerequisite for the evolution of male mate choice to occur. Female body size is a trait that is associated with fertility/reproductive success and assumed to be involved in the male choosing process, because a preference for these females means more offspring. In our experiment we tested if male European Common frogs prefer larger sized females. We found that males do not show any preferences considering female body size, and often fail to clasp a female. We assume that showing preferences and failing to clasp a female puts them at risk to miss the opportunity to reproduce in that given year, making choosiness too costly for males.The non-random mating pattern of size-matching in pairs that we observed might be caused by mechanical properties that define how well matched pairs fit, and if the male can hold onto the female.

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