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Are allometry and macroevolution related?

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  • West, Bruce J.
  • West, Damien

Abstract

The allometric relationship between the basal metabolic rate B and total body mass M is B = aMb, where the allometry coefficient a and the allometry exponent b have been fit to various data sets for over 150 years. The best fit of the allometry exponent to 391 mammalian species is given by Heusner [7] to be midway between the leading theoretical values of 2/3 and 3/4. Most theoretical investigations have focused on determining the proper value of b entailed by an appropriate biological model and with some notable exceptions ignored the allometry coefficient a altogether. Herein, we shift the focus and use the above data to settle on an empirical value of b that gives rise to an allometry coefficient with random variability described by a Pareto distribution. This new perspective suggests an interesting biological interpretation of the statistical fluctuations of the allometry coefficient. The time distribution of the intermittent fluctuations in a are determined to be of the same statistical form as those of speciation found in the punctuated equilibrium theory of macroevolution (Eldredge and Gould [3], Sneppen et al. [5] and Rikvold and Zia [17]).

Suggested Citation

  • West, Bruce J. & West, Damien, 2011. "Are allometry and macroevolution related?," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 390(10), pages 1733-1736.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:390:y:2011:i:10:p:1733-1736
    DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2010.11.031
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ricard V. Solé & Susanna C. Manrubia & Michael Benton & Per Bak, 1997. "Self-similarity of extinction statistics in the fossil record," Nature, Nature, vol. 388(6644), pages 764-767, August.
    2. Geoffrey B. West & James H. Brown & Brian J. Enquist, 1997. "A General Model for the Origin of Allometric Scaling Laws in Biology," Working Papers 97-03-019, Santa Fe Institute.
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