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Cited by 713Physiological and biochemical adaptationsEvolution and Paleontology StudiesEcology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

The predominance of quarter‐power scaling in biology

Savage, V. M., Gillooly, J. F., Woodruff, W. H., West, G. B., Allen, A. P., Enquist, B. J., Brown, J. H.·2004·Functional Ecology
DOI 10.1111/j.0269-8463.2004.00856.x
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Abstract

1 Recent studies have resurrected the debate over the value for the allometric scaling exponent that relates whole-organism metabolic rate to body size. Is it 3/4 or 2/3? This question has been raised before and resolved in favour of 3/4. Like previous ones, recent claims for a value of 2/3 are based almost entirely on basal metabolic rate (BMR) in mammals. 2 Here we compile and analyse a new, larger data set for mammalian BMR. We show that interspecific variation in BMR, as well as field metabolic rates of mammals, and basal or standard metabolic rates for many other organisms, including vertebrates, invertebrates, protists and plants, all scale with exponents whose confidence intervals include 3/4 and exclude 2/3. Our analysis of maximal metabolic rate gives a slope that is greater than and confidence intervals that exclude both 3/4 and 2/3. 3 Additionally, numerous other physiological rates that are closely tied to metabolism in a wide variety of organisms, including heart and respiratory rates in mammals, scale as M−1/4. 4 The fact that quarter-power allometric scaling is so pervasive in biology suggests that different allometric relations have a common, mechanistic origin and provides an empirical basis for theoretical models that derive these scaling exponents.

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  • Relaxation of the requirements for estimation of BMR to include species that may not be postabsorptive (thermoneutral RMR or RMR_t) results in an increase of the scaling exponent to 0.712±0.013.

    “Relaxation of the requirements for estimation of BMR to include species that may not be postabsorptive (thermoneutral RMR or RMR t : Speakman et al., 2003) results in an increase of the scaling exponent to 0.712±0.013(recalculated from Savage et al., 2004).”

    From Allometric scaling of mammalian metabolism (2005) · cites this paper as Savage et al., 2004

  • MMR_e scales with an exponent greater than RMR_pp, FMR, RMR_t, BMR, and SMR.

    “MMR e (b=0.87±0.05;Fig. •6A) scales with an exponent greater than RMR pp (b=0.75±0.03;Fig. •3), FMR (b=0.73±0.04;Nagy et al., 1999), RMR t (b=0.712±0.013;Savage et al., 2004), BMR (b=0.686±0.014;Fig. •4) and SMR (b=0.675±0.013;Fig. •5).”

    From Allometric scaling of mammalian metabolism (2005) · cites this paper as Savage et al., 2004

  • RMR_t scales with exponent 0.712±0.013.

    “RMR t (b=0.712±0.013;Savage et al., 2004)”

    From Allometric scaling of mammalian metabolism (2005) · cites this paper as Savage et al., 2004

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Authors
Savage, V. M., Gillooly, J. F., Woodruff, W. H., West, G. B., Allen, A. P., Enquist, B. J., & Brown, J. H.
Affiliations
  • Santa Fe Institute (US)
  • University of New Mexico (US)
  • University of Arizona (US)
ORCID
Venue
Functional Ecology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2004-04
Volume
18
Issue
2
Pages
257-282
ISSN
  • 0269-8463 (ISSN-L)
  • 1365-2435
DOI
10.1111/j.0269-8463.2004.00856.x
OpenAlex
W2031770486
Cited by
713
References
5
Citations by year
2026: 21 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 32 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 50 · 2015: 27 · 2014: 32 · 2013: 32 · 2012: 40
FWCI
36.45
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor, 1 d)
Locations
Functional Ecology (publishedVersion)
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 › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
Keywords
allometric scaling, metabolic rate, basal metabolic rate, field metabolic rate, maximal metabolic rate, scaling exponents, interspecific variation, heart rate, respiratory rate, body size, mammals, vertebrates, invertebrates, protists, plants

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