Abstract
The search for a theory to explain why the metabolic rate of mammals is proportional to the 3/4-power of body mass (Kleiber's law) has recently focused on the nutrient distribution network formed by arteries and capillaries. Banavar et al.1 argue that the law follows from the intrinsic properties of an outward-directed network. But careful analysis of their arguments reveals two implicit assumptions that may not be generally correct. Unless these assumptions are valid for mammalian circulation, these arguments cannot satisfactorily explain Kleiber's empirical relationship.
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