The scaling of maximum and basal metabolic rates of mammals and birds

Lauro A. Barbosa, Guilherme J.M. Garcia and Jafferson K.L. da Silva

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2006, vol. 359, issue C, 547-554

Abstract: Allometric scaling is one of the most pervasive laws in biology. Its origin, however, is still a matter of dispute. Recent studies have established that maximum metabolic rate scales with an exponent larger than that found for basal metabolism. This unpredicted result sets a challenge that can decide which of the concurrent hypotheses is the correct theory. Here, we show that both scaling laws can be deduced from a single network model. Besides the 3/4-law for basal metabolism, the model predicts that maximum metabolic rate scales as M6/7, maximum heart rate as M-1/7, and muscular capillary density as M-1/7, in agreement with data.

Keywords: Allometry; Metabolism; Transportation networks; WBE model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:359:y:2006:i:c:p:547-554

DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2005.06.050

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