Response to Comments on “Energy Uptake and Allocation During Ontogeny”

Abstract

Our extended ontogenetic growth model is a theoretical model based on conservation of energy and general biological mechanisms underlying ontogenetic growth. We do not believe that the comments of Makarieva et al . and Sousa et al . expose substantive problems with our model. Nevertheless, they raise interesting, still unresolved questions and point to philosophical differences about the role of theory and of simple, general models as opposed to complicated, specific models.