Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Allometric exponents do not support a universal metabolic allometry.

Craig R White1, Phillip Cassey, Tim M Blackburn

  • 1School of Biosciences, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK. c.r.white@bham.ac.uk

Ecology
|May 8, 2007
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Ecological drivers of coexistence and lethal variant evolution in the t haplotype.

Genetics·2026
Same author

Drivers and Consequences of Size Declines in Unicells.

Ecology letters·2026
Same author

Metabolic acclimation to captivity in highveld mole-rats (Cryptomys hottentotus pretoriae) is driven by sex-specific body mass increases.

The Journal of experimental biology·2026
Same author

Evolutionary adaptation to global change reduces sustainable fisheries yields.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Harnessing social media data to track species range shifts.

Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·2026
Same author

On the replicability of physiological responses.

The Journal of experimental biology·2026
Same journal

Combining individual and close-kin mark-recapture to design an effective wildlife population survey.

Ecology·2026
Same journal

Cross-stressor resilience of soil microbial growth and carbon metabolism under climate change.

Ecology·2026
Same journal

Oh deer! Videography reveals a range of defensive behaviors against a cervid by a ground-nesting bird.

Ecology·2026
Same journal

Microbial responses to stress do not promote plant tolerance to same or different stressors.

Ecology·2026
Same journal

A 2100-km jaguar journey redefines mobility and large-scale conservation priorities during large carnivore dispersal.

Ecology·2026
Same journal

Linking genome size variation to phenotypic selection on target traits.

Ecology·2026
See all related articles

Metabolic scaling exponents (b) vary significantly across species and metabolic states, challenging the idea of a universal allometric law. This meta-analysis reveals differences between endotherms and ectotherms, indicating no single exponent fits all.

Area of Science:

  • Comparative physiology
  • Metabolic scaling
  • Allometry

Background:

  • The relationship between metabolic rate and body mass is often described by an allometric scaling exponent (b).
  • Current debates focus on whether b equals 3/4 (nutrient distribution) or 2/3 (surface area), but a single universal exponent is debated.
  • Existing models often assume a single 'true' exponent, overlooking potential variations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the existence of a universal metabolic allometry.
  • To determine if allometric scaling exponents differ systematically between taxa or metabolic states.
  • To analyze a large dataset of interspecific allometric exponents.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted a meta-analysis of 127 interspecific allometric exponents.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examined the heterogeneity of the effect size of mass on metabolic rate.
  • Compared scaling exponents across different taxa (endotherms vs. ectotherms) and metabolic states (rest, field, exercise).
  • Utilized ordinary least squares, reduced major axis, and phylogenetically correct regression models.

    • Main Results:

    • The effect of body mass on metabolic rate is significantly heterogeneous.
    • Metabolic scaling exponents are, on average, stronger in endotherms than in ectotherms.
    • Significant differences in scaling exponents were found between endotherms and ectotherms, and across different metabolic states.
    • These findings held true across various regression methods.

    Conclusions:

    • There is no universal metabolic allometry; a single scaling exponent (b) does not apply to all species or conditions.
    • The significant heterogeneity and systematic differences challenge models predicting a single value for b.
    • Future research should account for taxonomic and metabolic state variations in metabolic scaling.