Energy efficiency and allometry of movement of swimming and flying animals.

ABSTRACT: Which animals use their energy better during movement? One metric to answer this question is the energy cost per unit distance per unit weight. Prior data show that this metric decreases with mass, which is considered to imply that massive animals are more efficient. Although useful, this metric also implies that two dynamically equivalent animals of different sizes will not be considered equally efficient. We resolve this longstanding issue by first determining the scaling of energy cost per unit distance traveled. The scale is found to be M(2/3) or M(1/2), where M is the animal mass. Second, we introduce an energy-consumption coefficient (CE) defined as energy per unit distance traveled divided by this scale. CE is a measure of efficiency of swimming and flying, analogous to how drag coe

SUBMITTER: Bale R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4040623 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature