Interspecific allometric scaling of multicellular organisms as an evolutionary process of food chain creation, influenced by mechanical constraints
نویسنده
چکیده
Metabolic rate of living organisms (energy produced per unit time) increases slower than organisms' mass. This phenomenon, when applied to different taxa, is called interspecific allometric scaling. Its causes remain unknown. Here we show that interspecific allometric scaling for multicellular organisms occurred as the result of evolution of organisms within the food chain, and certain mechanical constraints. We prove this conjecture by obtaining very close to experimental findings values of allometric exponents both for the maximal and basal metabolic rates.
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