10.5061/DRYAD.864
Irlich, Ulrike
Terblanche, John S.
Blackburn, Tim M.
Chown, Steven L.
Data from: Insect rate-temperature relationships: environmental variation
and the metabolic theory of ecology
Dryad
dataset
2009
metabolic theory of ecology
Ecology: physiological
Evolutionary physiology
Physiology: thermal
2009-08-28T21:02:06Z
2009-08-28T21:02:06Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1086/647904
1573376 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Much of the recent discussion concerning the form and underlying
mechanistic basis of metabolic rate–temperature and development
rate–temperature relationships has been precipitated by the development of
the metabolic theory of ecology (MTE). Empirical tests of the theory’s
fundamental equation are an essential component of establishing its
validity. Here, we test the temperature component of the fundamental
equation of the MTE as it applies to metabolic rate and development rate,
using insects as model organisms. Specifically, we test (i) whether mean
activation energies, E, approximate the 0.65 eV value proposed by the
proponents of the MTE and whether the range of values is tightly
constrained between 0.6 and 0.7 eV, as they have argued; (ii) whether
phylogenetic signal is apparent in the rate‐temperature relationships;
(iii) whether the slopes of the rate‐temperature relationships show
consistent, directional variation associated with environmental variables;
and (iv) whether intra‐ and interspecific rate‐temperature relationships
differ significantly. Because the majority of activation energy values
fell outside the predicted range and rate‐temperature relationships showed
consistent directional variation correlated with large‐scale climatic
variation, we conclude that data from insects provide only limited support
for the MTE. In consequence, we consider alternative explanations for
variation in rate‐temperature relationships.
Metabolic rate-temperature and development-rate temperature data for
insectsAppendices final.doc
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