Premium
PHYLOGENY AFFECTS ESTIMATION OF METABOLIC SCALING IN MAMMALS
Author(s) -
Symonds Matthew R. E.,
Elgar Mark A.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.84
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1558-5646
pISSN - 0014-3820
DOI - 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2002.tb00156.x
Subject(s) - biology , exponent , phylogenetics , evolutionary biology , scaling , tree (set theory) , statistical physics , genetics , mathematics , gene , physics , mathematical analysis , philosophy , linguistics , geometry
.— The relationship between body size and metabolic rate is a crucial issue in organismal biology and evolution. There has been considerable debate over whether the scaling exponent of the relationship is 0.75 (Kleiber's Law) or 0.67. Here we show that determination of this exponent for mammals depends on both the evolutionary tree and the regression model used in the comparative analysis. For example, more recent molecular‐based phylogenies tend to support a 0.67 exponent, whereas older phylogenies, mostly based on morphological data, suggest a 0.75 exponent. However, molecular phylogenies yield more variable results than morphological phylogenies and thus are not currently helping to resolve the issue.