GENETIC HETEROZYGOSITY AND REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS IN THE GREEN TREEFROG, HYLA-CINEREA

The relationship between genetic variation' and fitness characteristic s is important because reduce variation at the population level is usu ally associated with reduced viability of individuals. Adult green tre efrogs from a single population were examined at eight polymorphic all ozyme loci to test the prediction that a positive correlation exists b etween reproductive success and number of heterozygous loci. In female s, clutch size, corrected for snout-vent length, and total number of s urviving offspring were significantly correlated with number of hetero zygous loci. The relationship with percentage hatched showed the same correlation, but it was not significant. Body size as measured by snou t-vent length was not associated with number of heterozygous loci, alt hough larger females had significantly more hatched offspring. In male s, heterozygosity was not associated with body size or hatching succes s of the clutch. Total reproductive success in females was positively correlated with number of heterozygous loci, while factors such as bod y size, which may affect fitness, were not.