You are here

Developmental Allometry: Scaling in Growth

Author(s): 
John R. Jungck, Jennifer A Spangenberg

From the Biological ESTEEM collection

ESTEEM Category

Developmental Biology

Description

This Excel workbook illustrates a number of allometric equations in animal growth. The workbook also calculates an allometric equation with graphical output for data entered by the user. Brain mass, skeletal mass, and metabolic rate compared to body size are a few of the variables illustrated. The user can compare proportionality coefficients and exponents for different species groups to determine how they are different. The user can compare allometric equations of gathered data to those found in the workbook. Note that this workbook requires that "macros" are enabled in Microsoft Excel.

Go to the Allometry module in a new window

Primary Reference

Galilei, Galileo. 1638. Discoursi e demonstrazione matematiche intorno á due nuove scienze. Leiden: Elseviers. (1950. Discourses and mathematical demonstrations concerning two new sciences: The first day, and parts of the second day, the third day and the fourth day. Chicago: Chicago University Press.)

Popular Text Citations

Schmidt-Nielsen K. 1984. Scaling: Why is Animal Size So Important? Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Calder W A III. 1984. Size, Function, and Life History. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

Current Research Articles

Kato N, Miyashita T. 2005. Exploring the mechanisms causing a high allometric value of female pleopod in the crayfish Procambarus clarkii. Zoolog Sci. 22:717-21.

He J H. 2005. The allometry of leaf form in early plant ontogeny. Bull Math Biol. 67:1333-1337.

Nakaya F, Saito Y, Motokawa T. 2005. Experimental allometry: effect of size manipulation on metabolic rate of colonial ascidians. Proc Biol Sci. 272:1963-9.

John R. Jungck, Jennifer A Spangenberg, "Developmental Allometry: Scaling in Growth ," Convergence (December 2006)