Comment on "Energy uptake and allocation during ontogeny".
We demonstrate that the model of energy allocation during ontogeny of Hou et al. (Reports, 31 October 2008, p. 736) fails to account for the observed elevation of metabolic rate in growing organisms compared with similarly sized adults of different species. The basic model assumptions of the three-quarter power scaling for resting metabolism and constancy of the mass-specific maintenance metabolism need to be reassessed.
Makarieva
Anastassia M
AM
Theoretical Physics Division, Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina, St. Petersburg, Russia. elba@peterlink.ru
Gorshkov
Victor G
VG
Li
Bai-Lian
BL
D000818:Animals; D001481:Basal Metabolism; D001717:Birds / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D001835:Body Weight; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006128:Growth; D008322:Mammals / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D013045:Species Specificity