A question on bioenergetics

[Martin Baeker <martin@raptor.ifw.ing.tu-bs.de>]

Trying to understand reasons for dinosaur gigantism, I have now found in
several sources statements that the metabolic rate of larger animals is
proprtionally smaller, the exponent of scaling being 0.84 for reptiles and
0.7 for mammals and birds (from the Dinosauria) . This then easily 
explains why larger animals can take less nourishing food.

However, I did not find any reason why the exponent is smaller than 1. One
that comes to mind is the fact that larger animals need (relatively) more
load-carrying bones than do smaller ones, but is this the only aspect that
enters here? 

Thanks for any help,

Martin.


                   Dr. Martin Baeker
                   Institut fuer Werkstoffe
                   Langer Kamp 8
                   38106 Braunschweig
                   Germany
                   Tel.: 00-49-531-391-3073                      
                   Fax   00-49-531-391-3058
                   e-mail <martin.baeker@tu-bs.de>