Search results for "Homeothermy"

2013

To estimate the body temperature (BT) of seven dinosaurs Gillooly, Alleen, and Charnov (2006) used an equation that predicts BT from the body mass and maximum growth rate (MGR) with the latter preserved in ontogenetic growth trajectories (BT-equation). The results of these authors evidence inertial homeothermy in Dinosauria and suggest that, due to overheating, the maximum body size in Dinosauria was ultimately limited by BT. In this paper, I revisit this hypothesis of Gillooly, Alleen, and Charnov (2006). I first studied whether BTs derived from the BT-equation of today’s crocodiles, birds and mammals are consistent with core temperatures of animals. Second, I applied the BT-equation to a …

On the Fractal Structure of Evolutionary Trees

2002

We analyse in terms of a fractal tree the time sequences of major evolutionary leaps at various scales: from the scale of the “global” tree of life (appearance of life to homeothermy), to the distinct scales of organization of clades, such as sauropod and theropod dinosaurs, North American equids, rodents, primates including hominids, and echinoderms. We also apply this type of model to the acceleration observed in the economic crisis/no-crisis pattern in Western and pre-Columbian civilizations. In each case we find that these data are consistent with a log-periodic law of acceleration or deceleration, to a high level of statistical significance. Such a law is characterized by a critical ep…