In the a parasitic nematodePhotinus ignitus,some males can transfer large spermatophores to the females during mating. These extra resources are considered a "nuptial gift" that enable females to produce more offspring. Scientists collected 100 females and mated them with 50 males (25 males with large spermatophore and 25 with regular spermatophore). The design was 50 females mated with the large spermatophore males and the other 50 the the regular spermatophore males. At the end, scientists extracted two variables. First, the number of eggs each female laid, which is used as a proxy of fecundity. Second, the size of each female. Previous studies have shown that in these organisms fecundity varies with the size of the female. However, after exploring relationships of these 2 traits, scientists found independence of fecundity (number of eggs) from the size of the females. What statistical model fits this experimental design and data?

a.

ANOVA one-way

b.

t-tests for 2 groups

c.

ANCOVA one-way

d.

ANOVA two-ways

e.

Linear regression