title: The temperature size rule in arthropods: independent of macro-environmental variables but size dependent.
abstract: Temperature is a key factor that affects the rates of growth and development in animals, which ultimately determine body size. Although not universal, a widely documented and poorly understood pattern is the inverse relationship between the temperature at which an ectothermic animal is reared and its body size (temperature size rule [TSR]). The proximate and ultimate mechanisms for the TSR remain unclear. To explore possible explanations for the TSR, we tested for correlations between the magnitude/direction of the TSR and latitude, temperature, elevation, habitat, availability of oxygen, capacity for flight, and taxonomic grouping in 98 species/populations of arthropods. The magnitude and direction of the TSR was not correlated with any of the macro-environmental variables we examined, supporting the generality of the TSR. However, body size affected the magnitude and direction of the TSR, with smaller arthropods more likely to demonstrate a classic TSR. Considerable variation among species exists in the TSR, suggesting either strong interactions with nutrition, or selection based on microclimatic or seasonal variation not captured in classic macro-environmental variables.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA.
authors.forename: C Jaco
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Klok
authors.forename: Jon F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Harrison
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods / Q000502:physiology*; D049628:Body Size / Q000502:physiology*; D005426:Flight, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D005843:Geography; D016014:Linear Models; D008954:Models, Biological; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D010802:Phylogeny; D013045:Species Specificity; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen