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Cited by 264Physiological and biochemical adaptationsEvolution and Paleontology StudiesAvian ecology and behavior

The Allometry of Avian Basal Metabolic Rate: Good Predictions Need Good Data

McKechnie, Andrew E., Wolf, Blair O.·2004·Physiological and Biochemical Zoology
DOI 10.1086/383511
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Abstract

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is often predicted by allometric interpolation, but such predictions are critically dependent on the quality of the data used to derive allometric equations relating BMR to body mass (Mb). An examination of the metabolic rates used to produce conventional and phylogenetically independent allometries for avian BMR in a recent analysis revealed that only 67 of 248 data unambiguously met the criteria for BMR and had sample sizes with n>/=3. The metabolic rates that represented BMR were significantly lower than those that did not meet the criteria for BMR or were measured under unspecified conditions. Moreover, our conventional allometric estimates of BMR (W; logBMR=-1.461+0.669logMb) using a more constrained data set that met the conditions that define BMR and had n>/=3 were 10%-12% lower than those obtained in the earlier analysis. The inclusion of data that do not represent BMR results in the overestimation of predicted BMR and can potentially lead to incorrect conclusions concerning metabolic adaptation. Our analyses using a data set that included only BMR with n>/=3 were consistent with the conclusion that BMR does not differ between passerine and nonpasserine birds after taking phylogeny into account. With an increased focus on data mining and synthetic analyses, our study suggests that a thorough knowledge of how data sets are generated and the underlying constraints on their interpretation is a necessary prerequisite for such exercises.

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Crossref · 10.1086/383511

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159 of 159 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Any comparative study of avian energetics is made difficult by the limited amount of data on energetic demands in birds.

    “Any comparative study of avian energetics is made difficult by the limited amount of data on energetic demands in birds (McKechnie & Wolf 2004).”

    From Metabolic costs of brain size evolution (2006) · cites this paper as McKechnie & Wolf 2004

  • BMR scaling patterns observed for mammals and birds are not greatly altered by the inclusion of phylogenetic information.

    “Although none of the regressions presented here account for shared descent, BMR scaling patterns observed for mammals and birds are not greatly altered by the inclusion of such information (White and Seymour, 2003;McKechnie and Wolf, 2004).”

    From Allometric scaling of mammalian metabolism (2005) · cites this paper as McKechnie and Wolf, 2004

  • When BMR data for birds are rigorously selected, BMR scales with an exponent of 0.669.

    “Similarly, McKechnie and Wolf (2004) have recently shown that when BMR data for birds are rigorously selected, BMR scales with an exponent of 0.669.”

    From Allometric scaling of mammalian metabolism (2005) · cites this paper as McKechnie and Wolf (2004)

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Authors
McKechnie, A. E., & Wolf, B. O.
Affiliations
University of New Mexico (US)
Corresponding author
  • McKechnie, Andrew E.
  • Wolf, Blair O.
ORCID
Venue
Physiological and Biochemical Zoology
Publisher
University of Chicago Press
Published
2004-05
Volume
77
Issue
3
Pages
502-521
ISSN
  • 1522-2152 (ISSN-L)
  • 1537-5293
DOI
10.1086/383511
OpenAlex
W2153069925
Cited by
264
References
160
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 11
FWCI
12.89
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Physiological and Biochemical Zoology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation
  • National Research Foundation
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Physiological and biochemical adaptations
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Avian ecology and behavior
Keywords
basal metabolic rate, avian metabolism, allometry, body mass, allometric equations, data quality, Passeriformes, metabolic adaptation, data mining
MeSH terms
Analysis of Variance, Animals, Basal Metabolism, Birds, Body Weight, Models, Biological, Phylogeny, Research Design, Sample Size

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