Female preference for super-sized male ornaments and its implications for the evolution of ornament allometry

Abstract It has been argued that disproportionately larger ornaments in bigger males—positive allometry—is the outcome of sexual selection operating on size condition dependent traits. We reviewed literature and found a general lack empirical testing assumed link between female preferences for large pattern positive allometry male ornamentation. subsequently conducted manipulative experiment by leveraging unusual terrestrial fish, Alticus sp. cf. simplicirrus , island Rarotonga. Males this species present prominent head crest to females during courtship, genus more broadly exhibits classic allometry. created realistic models standardized body but differing based most extreme allometric scaling recorded genus. This included well outside observed range study population (super-sized). The stimuli were presented free-living manner mimicked spatial distribution courting males. Females directed greater attention stimulus exhibited super-sized crest, with little difference direct other treatments. These data appear be only experimental evidence from wild preference function implicitly drive results evolution