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Polar gigantism dictated by oxygen availability

Author

Listed:
  • Gauthier Chapelle

    (Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Bruxelles)

  • Lloyd S. Peck

    (British Antarctic Survey)

Abstract

The tendency of some animals to be larger at higher latitudes (‘polar gigantism’) has not been explained, although it has often been attributed to low temperature and metabolism1. Investigation of gigantism requires widely distributed taxa with extensive species representation at many well-studied sites. We have analysed length data for 1,853 species of benthic amphipod crustaceans from 12 sites worldwide, from polar to tropical and marine (continental shelf) to freshwater environments. We find that maximum potential size (MPS) is limited by oxygen availability.

Suggested Citation

  • Gauthier Chapelle & Lloyd S. Peck, 1999. "Polar gigantism dictated by oxygen availability," Nature, Nature, vol. 399(6732), pages 114-115, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:399:y:1999:i:6732:d:10.1038_20099
    DOI: 10.1038/20099
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    Cited by:

    1. Sebastiano Piccolroaz & Marco Toffolon, 2018. "The fate of Lake Baikal: how climate change may alter deep ventilation in the largest lake on Earth," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 150(3), pages 181-194, October.

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