A general methodology for estimating individual reproductive success was developed. Absolute estimates of reproductive success were calculated for 38 male bullfrogs, Rana catesbeiana, on the basis of number of matings, number of eggs fertilized, and number of offspring surviving to the hatchling stage. Relative estimates of reproductive success were then obtained by dividing an individual's observed reproductive success by the "expected reproductive success" or average reproductive success of individuals in the population. Relative lifetime estimates of reproductive success in such iteroparous species can be calculated by dividing an individual's observed lifetime reproductive success by its reproductive value or expected lifetime fitness. Due to the effects of age, yearly estimates of reproductive success in species with overlapping age classes may provide little information concerning the influence of present genetic differences on reproductive success, but could provide valuable insights on how selection might have acted on past genetic variations.
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Richard D. Howard (1979) studied this question.
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