( Hrvatski prijevod u nastavku..)  Shocking new research shows size isn't always an advantage

in the animal world, shattering a widely-held belief that bigger is better. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael Kasumovic, a former University of Toronto Scarborough PhD student, examined Australian Redback male spiders to determine whether

the larger ones had an edge in achieving mating success and producing offspring.

Surprisingly, Kasumovic found the large spiders didn't always have an advantage.

Instead, because the larger males experienced a much longer maturation process, they were unable to search for and mate with females and produce offspring

at the same rate as the smaller Redback spiders.

"Most people assume that large size and weaponry are key indicators of a male's fitness, because those traits help them dominate smaller males,"

says Kasumovic, now a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of New South Wales.

"However, smaller males develop sooner and are therefore able to mate with females before the larger males. So while large males may dominate in

combat, they are unable to compete with the smaller males in terms of mate searching.

" The study, currently published online in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, emphasized the important role maturation time plays in defining a successful male.

"Size is no longer the only ruler by which we can measure a male's quality," says Kasumovic.

"Many other factors, including maturation time, are critical in that definition."

Šokantno novo istraživanje pokazuje da veličina nije uvijek prednost u životinjskom svijetu, dovodeći u pitanje široko rasprostranjeno vjerovanje da je veće nužno i bolje.

Michael Kasumovic, bivši doktorant s University of Toronto Scarborough je proučio Australske Redback muške paukove da odredi da li su veći imali prednost

u postizanju uspješnijeg parenja i proizvodnje ploda.

Iznenađujuće, Kasumovic je otkrio da veći pauci nisu imali uvijek prednost.

Umjesto toga, zato što su veći muški pauci doživljavali mnogo duži proces sazrijevanja, oni nisu bili u stanju traženja i parenja s ženkama i proizvesti

plod na istom stupnju, kao manji Redback pauci.

"Mnogi ljudi pretpostavljaju da veća veličina i artiljerija su ključni indikatori forme mužjaka, zato što im te osobine pomažu da budu nadmoćni nad manjim paucima",

rekao je Kasumovic, sada postdoktorant na University of New South Wales.

"Kako god, manji mužjaci razvijaju se prije i zato se mogu pariti s ženkama prije većih. Tako da, dok veći mužjaci mogu dominirati u bitci, ne mogu se natjecati

s manjima u nalaženju ženki.

"Ova studija, trenutno objavljena online u Journal of Evolutionary Biology, naglasila je važnu ulogu vremena sazrijevanja mužjaka u određivanju uspješnog

parenja mužjaka. "Veličina više nije jedino pravilo po kojem mi možemo mjeriti kvalitetu mužjaka" rekao je Kasumovic.

"Mnogi drugi faktori, uključujući vrijeme sazrijevanja, su presudni u toj definiciji".

Prevela s Science Daily  Kristina Zolota

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