Temporal migration patterns and mating tactics influence size-assortative mating in Rana temporaria.

ABSTRACT: Assortative mating is a common pattern in sexually reproducing species, but the mechanisms leading to assortment remain poorly understood. By using the European common frog (Rana temporaria) as a model, we aim to understand the mechanisms leading to size-assortative mating in amphibians. With data from natural populations collected over several years, we first show a consistent pattern of size-assortative mating across our 2 study populations. We subsequently ask if assortative mating may be explained by mate availability due to temporal segregation of migrating individuals with specific sizes. With additional experiments, we finally assess whether size-assortative mating is adaptive, i.e. influenced by mating competition among males, or by reduced fertilization in size-mismatched p

SUBMITTER: Dittrich C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5873255 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar-Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature