TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT DEVELOPMENT IN MARINE COPEPODS - COMMENTS ON CHOICES OF MODELS

Guerrero et al. (1994) promote Tauti's equation, rate = a exp (b temp) , as simple to fit by log conversion (which may be formally inappropri ate), empirically adequate, and having 'appropriate biological charact eristics'. No function is justifiable from reductionist theories, but Belehradek's, rate = a (temp - T-0)(b), with b fixed for the taxon of interest, fits equally well, and singularly distinguishes differences attributable to temperature adaptation (T-0, often misunderstood as 'b iological zero'), and to size or other species-dependent properties (a ).