Observation of mammalian similarity through allometric scaling laws

Valery B Kokshenev

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2003, vol. 322, issue C, 491-505

Abstract: We discuss the problem of observation of natural similarity in skeletal evolution of terrestrial mammals. Analysis is given by means of testing of the power scaling laws established in long-bone allometry, which describe development of bones (of length L and diameter D) with body mass in terms of the growth exponents, e.g., λ=dlogL/dlogD. The bone-size evolution scenario given three decades ago by McMahon was quiet explicit on the geometrical-shape and mechanical-force constraints that predicted λ=23. This remains too far from the mammalian allometric exponent λ(exp)=0.80±0.2, recently revised by Christiansen, that is a chief puzzle in long-bone allometry. We give therefore new insights into McMahon's constraints and report on the first observation of the critical-elastic-force, bending-deformation, muscle-induced mechanism that underlies the allometric law with estimated λ=0.80±0.3. This mechanism governs the bone-size evolution with avoiding skeletal fracture caused by muscle-induced peak stresses and is expected to be unique for small and large mammals.

Keywords: Allometric scaling; Long bones; Muscles; Terrestrial mammals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2003
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:322:y:2003:i:c:p:491-505

DOI: 10.1016/S0378-4371(02)01923-4

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