Abstract
We describe a method that allows prediction of resting metabolic rate (RMR, ml O2 · min−1) in adult male and female king penguins on shore by measuring body mass (M b) and the length of the foot, flipper and beak. This method is accurate, underestimating measured RMR (n=114) by 4% in a data set consisting of 44 birds (33 males and 11 females). Measurement error was unbiased with respect to fasting duration and can therefore estimate RMR during any stage of fasting. This new method provides significant cost and logistical savings when estimating RMR during fieldwork, allowing RMR of a large number of birds to be measured quickly. These findings suggest the possibility that the use of M b and morphometrics will allow development of general and specific equations to estimate RMR in other species.
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Acknowledgements
The quality and quantity of work for this project was greatly enhanced by the dedication and professionalism of the people of the 34th, 40th, 41st mission in Crozet. We are indebted to IPEV and TAAF for their help and support in the field. The data reported were partly collected during a study funded by a grant from NERC, UK to P.J.B. and A.J.W. (NERC ref: NER/A/S/200001074) and by IPEV Programme 394. A.F. and D.R.J. were supported by a NSERC Discovery grant to DRJ during the analysis of these data. We thank Mr. Brian Bostrom for help in editing the figures.
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Fahlman, A., Halsey, L.G., Butler, P.J. et al. Accounting for body condition improves allometric estimates of resting metabolic rates in fasting king penguins, Aptenodytes patagonicus . Polar Biol 29, 609–614 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-005-0096-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-005-0096-z