We examine the scaling law Bis proportional toMalphawhich connects organismal resting metabolic rate B with organismal mass M, where alpha is commonly held to be 3/4. Since simple dimensional analysis suggests alpha=2/3, we consider this to be a null hypothesis testable by empirical studies. We re-analyse data sets for mammals and birds compiled by Heusner, Bennett and Harvey, Bartels, Hemmingsen, Brody, and Kleiber, and find little evidence for rejecting alpha=2/3 in favor ofalpha =3/4. For mammals, we find a possible breakdown in scaling for larger masses reflected in a systematic increase in alpha. We also review theoretical justifications of alpha=3/4 based on dimensional analysis, nutrient-supply networks, and four-dimensional biology. We find that present theories for alpha=3/4 require assumptions that render them unconvincing for rejecting the null hypothesis that alpha=2/3.
%0 Journal Article
%1 Dodds.Rothman.ea2001Re-examinationof34-law
%A Dodds, P. S.
%A Rothman, D. H.
%A Weitz, J. S.
%D 2001
%J Journal of Theoretical Biology
%K
%N 1
%P 9--27
%R 10.1006/jtbi.2000.2238
%T Re-examination of the ``3/4-law'' of Metabolism
%U http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6WMD-457VDWN-6T/2/9d80e46f8f527fc4aec4f076fb783ed8
%V 209
%X We examine the scaling law Bis proportional toMalphawhich connects organismal resting metabolic rate B with organismal mass M, where alpha is commonly held to be 3/4. Since simple dimensional analysis suggests alpha=2/3, we consider this to be a null hypothesis testable by empirical studies. We re-analyse data sets for mammals and birds compiled by Heusner, Bennett and Harvey, Bartels, Hemmingsen, Brody, and Kleiber, and find little evidence for rejecting alpha=2/3 in favor ofalpha =3/4. For mammals, we find a possible breakdown in scaling for larger masses reflected in a systematic increase in alpha. We also review theoretical justifications of alpha=3/4 based on dimensional analysis, nutrient-supply networks, and four-dimensional biology. We find that present theories for alpha=3/4 require assumptions that render them unconvincing for rejecting the null hypothesis that alpha=2/3.
@article{Dodds.Rothman.ea2001Re-examinationof34-law,
abstract = {We examine the scaling law B[is proportional {to]M[alpha]which} connects organismal resting metabolic rate B with organismal mass M, where [alpha] is commonly held to be 3/4. Since simple dimensional analysis suggests [alpha]=2/3, we consider this to be a null hypothesis testable by empirical studies. We re-analyse data sets for mammals and birds compiled by Heusner, Bennett and Harvey, Bartels, Hemmingsen, Brody, and Kleiber, and find little evidence for rejecting [alpha]=2/3 in favor of[alpha] =3/4. For mammals, we find a possible breakdown in scaling for larger masses reflected in a systematic increase in [alpha]. We also review theoretical justifications of [alpha]=3/4 based on dimensional analysis, nutrient-supply networks, and four-dimensional biology. We find that present theories for [alpha]=3/4 require assumptions that render them unconvincing for rejecting the null hypothesis that [alpha]=2/3.},
added-at = {2009-09-18T15:57:20.000+0200},
author = {Dodds, P. S. and Rothman, D. H. and Weitz, J. S.},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2305b5baa32afafcf781e88edee068da2/janlo},
doi = {10.1006/jtbi.2000.2238},
interhash = {8b2f95f970a00d7aec850f8f81bd5198},
intrahash = {305b5baa32afafcf781e88edee068da2},
issn = {0022-5193},
jlprojects = {size_scaling},
journal = {Journal of Theoretical Biology},
keywords = {},
month = {#mar#},
number = 1,
pages = {9--27},
timestamp = {2009-09-18T15:57:20.000+0200},
title = {Re-examination of the ``3/4-law'' of Metabolism},
url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6WMD-457VDWN-6T/2/9d80e46f8f527fc4aec4f076fb783ed8},
volume = 209,
year = 2001
}