Big size is not necessarily good

New research shows that size is not always an advantage in the animal world. This finding contradicts the usual notion that the bigger the size, the better.

Michael Kasumovic, Ph.D. graduate student of the University of Toronto Scarborough, conducted research on Australian male Redback spiders to test whether larger sized animals have an advantage in finding partners and Childbirth or not.

Wolf spider. Size is not always an advantage in the animal world (Photo: iStockphoto / Cathy Keifer)

Surprisingly, Kasumovic found that larger spiders didn't always have the advantage. On the contrary, because larger males often have longer maturation processes, they cannot find partners as well as give birth to females as effectively as smaller spiders.

Kasumovic, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of New South Wales, said: 'Most people think that large size is a sign of male power, because that trait helps them suppress males. less. However, smaller males grow earlier and therefore can find a mate before larger males. Larger males may dominate when pitted, they cannot compete with smaller males when searching for partners. '

The study, now published online in Evolutionary Biology, highlights the important role of adult time in males.

Kasumovic concluded: 'Size is no longer the only standard to determine the quality of a male. Many other factors, including adulthood, are also very important. '