Body weight and the energetics of temperature regulation: a re-examination.

Investigations in the past two decades have shown the utility of the Newtonian model of heat loss from homoiotherms which was established in the biological literature by Scholander et al. (1950a, b, c). The stimulative effect of those papers is seen in a proliferation of thermoregulatory studies (for reviews see Bartholomew, 1968; Dawson & Hudson, 1970). Sufficient data'have been generated from a wide range in body sizes to permit recognition of allometric generalizations that are useful for predictive purposes and for inter-class and intra-class comparisons (e.g. Herreid & Kessel, 1967; Lasiewski, Weathers & Bernstein, 1967; Kendeigh, 1969). McNab (1970) has employed allometric equations, ratios of allometric equations, and ratios of ratios of allometric equations to explore further Newton's law of cooling. As used in the biological context, this law is stated