We investigate the nature of the mass-metallicity (M-Z) relation for long
gamma-ray burst (LGRB) host galaxies. Recent studies suggest that the M-Z
relation for local LGRB host galaxies may be systematically offset towards
lower metallicities relative to the M-Z relation defined by the general star
forming galaxy (SDSS) population. The nature of this offset is consistent with
suggestions that low metallicity environments may be required to produce high
mass progenitors, although the detection of several GRBs in high-mass,
high-metallicity galaxies challenges the notion of a strict metallicity cut-off
for host galaxies that are capable of producing GRBs. We show that the nature
of this reported offset may be explained by a recently proposed
anti-correlation between the star formation rate (SFR) and the metallicity of
star forming galaxies. If low metallicity galaxies produce more stars than
their equally massive, high-metallicity counterparts, then transient events
that closely trace the SFR in a galaxy would be more likely to be found in
these low metallicity, low mass galaxies. Therefore, the offset between the GRB
and SDSS defined M-Z relations may be the result of the different methods used
to select their respective galaxy populations, with GRBs being biased towards
low metallicity, high SFR, galaxies. We predict that such an offset should not
be expected of transient events that do not closely follow the star formation
history of their host galaxies, such as short duration GRBs and SN Ia, but
should be evident in core collapse SNe found through upcoming untargeted
surveys.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, submitted to ApJ
