Encephalization in Vertebrates
- 1 January 1978
- journal article
- review article
- Published by S. Karger AG in Brain, Behavior and Evolution
- Vol. 15 (1) , 1-18
- https://doi.org/10.1159/000123769
Abstract
The conventional allometric power function, with its slope near 2/3, works well for interspecific scaling of brain vs. body weight in all groups of vertebrates [fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals]. It fails in extrapolation to vertebrates of the largest size within their groups: these have smaller brains than the equations would predict. A correction, the hyperbolic tangent, is proposed to linearize the data over all sizes. Evolutionary reasons for the relatively small brain size of the largest vertebrates are discussed.This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:
- On the brain of the Macroscelididae (Macroscelides and Elephantulus)1928
- Tableau général des Poids somatique et encéphalique dans les espèces animalesBulletins Et Mémoires de La Société D'anthropologie de Paris, 1907