April 1997 PMID 9082983

A general model for the origin of allometric scaling laws in biology.

G B West, J H Brown, B J Enquist

Mentions

92
Peak: 6 in Jan 2024
across 6 sources since Feb 2020

Extended reach

1,179,390
potential audience

Total likes

14,390

Video views

801,770

Mentions per month

Feb 2020 – Nov 2025

Where it's discussed

  • News40 articles
  • X / Twitter26 posts
  • Blogs20 articles
  • Bluesky2 posts
  • YouTube2 videos
  • Facebook2 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The overall tone reflects strong support and interest, with users referencing the 1997 groundbreaking publication and its influence. Comments like 'groundbreaking paper' and questions about the model's broader implications reveal both appreciation and curiosity, with some discussing the mathematical principles involved, contributing to a lively, thoughtful discussion.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most comments acknowledge the significance of the original paper, with some noting that the model is foundational for understanding biological scaling laws.

InterestHigh interest

Discussions indicate high curiosity, referencing the groundbreaking nature of the research and its implications across multiple fields.

EngagementHigh engagement

Posts include detailed references to the model, including mathematical aspects and historical context, demonstrating deep engagement.

ImpactModerate impact

While several comments highlight the importance of the theory, there is less evidence of immediate widespread application, hence a moderate impact score.

Abstract in brief

  • The text explains a general model that accounts for allometric scaling laws in biology, including how metabolic rates follow a specific power law, by describing how essential materials are transported through fractal networks of branching tubes.
  • The model is based on the principles that energy dissipation is minimized and terminal tubes remain consistent across different body sizes, allowing it to accurately predict the scaling relationships in various biological systems like circulatory and respiratory networks in mammals, plants, and insects.
  • It provides a comprehensive analysis that matches real-world data and applies broadly to different types of distribution networks in living organisms, highlighting the universal nature of these scaling laws.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Michael Nielsen
@michael_nielsen · X

I sometimes wonder if a Geoff West (https://t.co/u423rBogxs & followups) style analysis can be used to predict the exponents seen in the scaling laws papers.

Jan 16, 2023 · 53 likes · 1 share · 111,897 followers View post →
Paolo Zanotto, D.Phil.
@epimeme · X

Pensando nas verdades universais de Platão, sinto falta de ter acesso ao conhecimento de vida em sistemas muito distantes da Terra. Convergências evolucionárias iriam confirmar princípios universais além da escalabilidade alométrica. https://t.co/ov8hNr0YF0

Jan 5, 2024 · 33 likes · 5 shares · 90,363 followers View post →
Santa Fe Institute
@sfiscience.bsky.social · Bluesky

#TBT - In 1997, SFI researchers Geoffrey West, Jim Brown, and Brian Enquist published “A general model for the origin of allometric scaling laws in biology.” Here is a clipping of an article that was written in the Santa Fe Reporter about their groundbreaking paper.

Nov 21, 2024 · 22 likes · 6 shares View post →
Dr. Lutz Böhm
@DrLutzBoehm · X

Ich muss euch jetzt eine Sache mitteilen, die euch vielleicht schockieren wird: Die meisten Tiere sind keine Kugeln! Truthbomb, I know! Schon vor knapp 100 Jahren hat sich mit Kleibers Gesetz etabliert, dass der Exponent nicht 2/3, sondern 3/4 ist. 12/ https://t.co/1vZTj0KFbV

Jan 16, 2025 · 19 likes · 1 share · 11,233 followers View post →
Santa Fe Institute
@sfiscience · X

#TBT - In 1997, SFI researchers Geoffrey West, Jim Brown, and Brian Enquist published “A general model for the origin of allometric scaling laws in biology.” Here is a clipping of an article that was written in the Santa Fe Reporter about their groundbreaking paper. https://t.co/FMnXOt5A3W

Nov 21, 2024 · 18 likes · 5 shares · 66,124 followers View post →
Füjii χ²
@fujiisoup · X

@yashiro_ld こんにちは。(上限じゃないですが)生物のスケールがどう決まるかには流体説もあるみたいで、私はこれがお気に入りです。栄養とかを流体で流す必要があってそれで制限がかかると。 https://t.co/4ghTvx72CR

Oct 1, 2025 · 5 likes · 1 share · 437 followers View post →

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Exploring Metabolic Rates in Relation to Body Size

This video discusses how Tolkien inadvertently adhered to biological laws by portraying hobbits as perpetually hungry. It also delves into body size and metabolic rate, referencing multiple studies that highlight the…

SVT Neveu · Mar 9, 2022 222 views
prosopocoilusun
@prosopocoilusun · X

West, G. B., Brown, J. H., & Enquist, B. J. (1997). A general model for the origin of allometric scaling laws in biology. Science, 276(5309), 122-126. https://t.co/iaHzxpnL2W

Nov 5, 2025 · 543 followers View post →
Yashiro
@yashiro_ld · X

RT @fujiisoup: @yashiro_ld こんにちは。(上限じゃないですが)生物のスケールがどう決まるかには流体説もあるみたいで、私はこれがお気に入りです。栄養とかを流体で流す必要があってそれで制限がかかると。 https://t.co/4ghTvx72CR

Oct 1, 2025 · 1 share · 9,263 followers View post →
Füjii χ²
@fujiisoup · X

@yashiro_ld こんにちは。(上限じゃないですが)生物のスケールがどう決まるかには流体説もあるみたいで、私はこれがお気に入りです。栄養とかを流体で流す必要があってそれで制限がかかると。 https://t.co/4ghTvx72CR

Oct 1, 2025 · 5 likes · 1 share · 437 followers View post →
Peter Fedichev
@fedichev · X

@clumma in his https://t.co/rvKwGmvbAX G. West argues that alpha = D/(D+1) -- I have never checked that myself but believe it

Mar 12, 2025 · 1 like · 4,991 followers View post →
SFI Press
@SFIPress · X

Chapter 83: Introduction to G. B. West, J. H. Brown, and B. J. Enquist, “A General Model for the Origin of Allometric Scaling Laws in Biology” (1997), by @pmarquet10 , “Quarter-Power Allometric Scaling and Life Dynamics.” #FoundationalPapers #complexityscience #scaling 18/24

Jan 27, 2025 · 1 like · 1,586 followers View post →
Kernig
@Kern62828248 · X

RT @DrLutzBoehm: Ich muss euch jetzt eine Sache mitteilen, die euch vielleicht schockieren wird: Die meisten Tiere sind keine Kugeln! Truth…

Jan 16, 2025 · 1 share · 355 followers View post →
Dr. Lutz Böhm
@DrLutzBoehm · X

Ich muss euch jetzt eine Sache mitteilen, die euch vielleicht schockieren wird: Die meisten Tiere sind keine Kugeln! Truthbomb, I know! Schon vor knapp 100 Jahren hat sich mit Kleibers Gesetz etabliert, dass der Exponent nicht 2/3, sondern 3/4 ist. 12/ https://t.co/1vZTj0KFbV

Jan 16, 2025 · 19 likes · 1 share · 11,233 followers View post →
Alonso I. Vergara Sarrúa
@SarruaAlonso · X

RT @sfiscience: #TBT - In 1997, SFI researchers Geoffrey West, Jim Brown, and Brian Enquist published “A general model for the origin of al…

Nov 21, 2024 · 5 shares · 107 followers View post →
Savvas Paragkamian
@unonoctium · X

RT @sfiscience: #TBT - In 1997, SFI researchers Geoffrey West, Jim Brown, and Brian Enquist published “A general model for the origin of al…

Nov 21, 2024 · 5 shares · 117 followers View post →
Thomas N. Sato
@island1005tns · X

RT @sfiscience: #TBT - In 1997, SFI researchers Geoffrey West, Jim Brown, and Brian Enquist published “A general model for the origin of al…

Nov 21, 2024 · 5 shares · 87 followers View post →
James Torre
@jpt401 · X

RT @sfiscience: #TBT - In 1997, SFI researchers Geoffrey West, Jim Brown, and Brian Enquist published “A general model for the origin of al…

Nov 21, 2024 · 5 shares · 995 followers View post →
Santa Fe Institute
@sfiscience.bsky.social · Bluesky

#TBT - In 1997, SFI researchers Geoffrey West, Jim Brown, and Brian Enquist published “A general model for the origin of allometric scaling laws in biology.” Here is a clipping of an article that was written in the Santa Fe Reporter about their groundbreaking paper.

Nov 21, 2024 · 22 likes · 6 shares View post →
Santa Fe Institute
@sfiscience · X

#TBT - In 1997, SFI researchers Geoffrey West, Jim Brown, and Brian Enquist published “A general model for the origin of allometric scaling laws in biology.” Here is a clipping of an article that was written in the Santa Fe Reporter about their groundbreaking paper. https://t.co/FMnXOt5A3W

Nov 21, 2024 · 18 likes · 5 shares · 66,124 followers View post →
Lou Novak
@Louh_novak · X

RT @epimeme: Pensando nas verdades universais de Platão, sinto falta de ter acesso ao conhecimento de vida em sistemas muito distantes da T…

Jan 6, 2024 · 5 shares · 59,523 followers View post →
Helio Lima
@HelioDeca · X

RT @epimeme: Pensando nas verdades universais de Platão, sinto falta de ter acesso ao conhecimento de vida em sistemas muito distantes da T…

Jan 6, 2024 · 5 shares · 399 followers View post →
Λεωνίδας
@cramentu · X

RT @epimeme: Pensando nas verdades universais de Platão, sinto falta de ter acesso ao conhecimento de vida em sistemas muito distantes da T…

Jan 6, 2024 · 5 shares · 914 followers View post →
Camila Educadora
@DorileoCamila · X

RT @epimeme: Pensando nas verdades universais de Platão, sinto falta de ter acesso ao conhecimento de vida em sistemas muito distantes da T…

Jan 6, 2024 · 5 shares · 53 followers View post →
denisesimonette
@denisesimonette · X

RT @epimeme: Pensando nas verdades universais de Platão, sinto falta de ter acesso ao conhecimento de vida em sistemas muito distantes da T…

Jan 5, 2024 · 5 shares · 5,514 followers View post →
Paolo Zanotto, D.Phil.
@epimeme · X

Pensando nas verdades universais de Platão, sinto falta de ter acesso ao conhecimento de vida em sistemas muito distantes da Terra. Convergências evolucionárias iriam confirmar princípios universais além da escalabilidade alométrica. https://t.co/ov8hNr0YF0

Jan 5, 2024 · 33 likes · 5 shares · 90,363 followers View post →
Brian J. Enquist
@bjenquist.bsky.social · Bluesky

Testing a general model for the origin of allometic scaling in Biology... Central predictions of #MST assumes natural selection universally tends to optimise organismal vascular networks to supply resources but yet, at the same time, minimize the energy required...

Feb 9, 2023 View post →
A Master of Spin
@You_re_Joking · X

RT @michael_nielsen: I sometimes wonder if a Geoff West (https://t.co/u423rBogxs & followups) style analysis can be used to predict the exp…

Jan 17, 2023 · 1 share · 50 followers View post →
Michael Nielsen
@michael_nielsen · X

I sometimes wonder if a Geoff West (https://t.co/u423rBogxs & followups) style analysis can be used to predict the exponents seen in the scaling laws papers.

Jan 16, 2023 · 53 likes · 1 share · 111,897 followers View post →
Bor
@LahadtheGhost · X

@pastasnack_e @Stefan_bOd @robertwiblin Safe with more, but not substantially more. Dose doesn't scale linearly with body mass, but as mass to the 2/3 or 3/4 power. So the dose for the 100kg person should only be about 1.6x or 1.7x that of the 50kg person NOT 2x. See: https://t.co/yhTNUwj8BJ

Mar 20, 2022 · 4 likes · 75 followers View post →
Oliver Lopez-Corona (Tecozcacuauhtli)
@otrasenda_AC · X

@trishankkarthik I would say same physical model But now days I'm thinking in physics as constraint computational theory https://t.co/ob0f2XKQsy

Feb 16, 2022 · 1 like · 2,084 followers View post →
Oliver Lopez-Corona (Tecozcacuauhtli)
@otrasenda_AC · X

@alwyn_lau Yes https://t.co/ob0f2XKQsy

Feb 16, 2022 · 4 likes · 2,084 followers View post →
Matthew Parry
@madeupinblue · X

@adambspencer @Sydney_Uni @Sydney_Science @DoctorKarl Very nice! But I thought life had cracked the square-cube law and gone to 3/4-power law scaling? #lifealwaysfindsaway https://t.co/y0yJAGaFqC

Sep 8, 2021 · 341 followers View post →
Nat Pryce
@natpryce · X

RT @DrQz: @natpryce @ShripadAgashe @mfeathers Seminal paper by West et al., 1997: "A General Model for the Origin of Allometric Scaling Law…

Feb 8, 2020 · 1 share · 5,782 followers View post →
Neil Gunther
@DrQz · X

@natpryce @ShripadAgashe @mfeathers Seminal paper by West et al., 1997: "A General Model for the Origin of Allometric Scaling Laws in Biology", https://t.co/XcfNIvIhbt

Feb 8, 2020 · 1 like · 1 share · 2,566 followers View post →