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Experimental Manipulation of Body Size to Estimate Morphological Scaling Relationships in Drosophila
Published on: October 1, 2011
The allometry and scaling of the size of vertebrate eyes
Howard C Howland1, Stacey Merola, Jennifer R Basarab
1Section of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, W-201 Mudd Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. hch2@cornell.edu
Abstract:
We compiled data from the literature and colleagues to examine the relationship between eye axial length and body weight for vertebrates as well as birds, mammals, reptiles, and fishes independently. After fitting the data to logarithmic and semi-logarithmic models, we found that axial length of vertebrate eyes does obey a conventional logarithmic relationship with body weight rather than a semi-logarithmic relationship as suggested by the results of previous studies. The regression slopes and intercepts appear to be characteristic of various animal groups. The axial length of the eye is largest in birds and primates, smaller in other mammals (especially rodents) and reptiles, and widely varying in fishes.
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