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Modelling universality and scaling

Author

Listed:
  • Jayanth R. Banavar

    (104 Davey Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University)

  • John Damuth

    (Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California)

  • Amos Maritan

    (International School for Advanced Studies
    INFM and the Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics)

  • Andrea Rinaldo

    (Marittima e Geotecnica, Universita' di Padova)

Abstract

Understanding the allocation of metabolic energy between the sustenance of an organism and its growth is an important issue in ecology. West et al.1 have built on their earlier attempts to explain the exponent for the allometric scaling of metabolism and have derived a single, parameterless universal curve that describes the growth of many species. Here we show that the universal curve arises from general considerations that are independent of the specific allometric model used by West et al. and that the data do not distinguish between a 3/4 or 2/3 exponent in the relationship between metabolic rate and mass scaling.

Suggested Citation

  • Jayanth R. Banavar & John Damuth & Amos Maritan & Andrea Rinaldo, 2002. "Modelling universality and scaling," Nature, Nature, vol. 420(6916), pages 626-626, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:420:y:2002:i:6916:d:10.1038_420626a
    DOI: 10.1038/420626a
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    Cited by:

    1. Shi, Pei-Jian & Ishikawa, Tetsuroh & Sandhu, Hardev S. & Hui, Cang & Chakraborty, Amit & Jin, Xian-Shi & Tachihara, Katsunori & Li, Bai-Lian, 2014. "On the 3/4-exponent von Bertalanffy equation for ontogenetic growth," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 276(C), pages 23-28.
    2. Shi, Pei-Jian & Men, Xing-Yuan & Sandhu, Hardev S. & Chakraborty, Amit & Li, Bai-Lian & Ou-Yang, Fang & Sun, Yu-Cheng & Ge, Feng, 2013. "The “general” ontogenetic growth model is inapplicable to crop growth," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 266(C), pages 1-9.
    3. Witting, Lars, 2017. "The natural selection of metabolism and mass selects allometric transitions from prokaryotes to mammals," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 23-42.
    4. Joydeep Bhattacharya, 2009. "Increase of Universality in Human Brain during Mental Imagery from Visual Perception," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 4(1), pages 1-11, January.

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