Interspecific allometric scaling of multicellular organisms as an evolutionary process of food chain creation, influenced by mechanical constraints
| Main Author: | Shestopaloff Yuri K. |
|---|---|
| Format: | info publication-preprint |
| Bahasa: | eng |
| Terbitan: |
, 2019
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: |
https://zenodo.org/record/2579928 |
Daftar Isi:
- Metabolism is a foundation of life. Metabolic rate of organisms (amount of energy produced per unit time) increases slower than organisms' mass, which has important consequences for life organization. This phenomenon, when considered across different taxa, is called interspecific allometric scaling. Here, on the basis of introduced biomechanical models, physiological and evolutionary principles, we discover and validate its fundamental mechanisms. Calculated theoretical values of allometric exponents for the maximal and basal metabolic rates, for mammals, reptiles, fish and birds, correspond to experimental data. This proves that the cooperative action of discovered mechanisms, indeed, is the cause of this phenomenon, and that allometric scaling is rather a statistical effect of individual evolutionary and physiological adaptations of organisms within the food chain, both in terms of metabolism and biomechanical constraints. The increase in size is coupled with the increase of the overall metabolic rate due to the change of biomechanical characteristics and the need to meet certain functional requirements for a successful reproduction (like the speed advantage over the prey). On one hand, organisms have to reliably acquire sufficient food for that. On the other hand, neither biomechanical nor metabolic advantage can be too strong - otherwise, the food chain could be destroyed. The counteraction of these two needs establishes a dynamic balance in the food chain, which, together with biomechanical constraints, explains the phenomenon of allometric scaling. Once acknowledged, this discovery will have numerous important implications in ecological, evolutionary, physiological and other studies, as well as in practical applications.