Marek Konarzewski University of Bialystok and Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences Title Controversies over scaling of metabolic rates of animals and plants Abstract The so called Metabolic Theory of Ecology (MTE) is one of the most important topics recently debated in ecology. The proponents of MTE claim to develop a unifying concept, which explains the principles of biological variation form sub-cellular to ecosystem level. In the last years much of the debate on MTE focused on its testability in relation to large-scale ecological patterns both in terrestrial and marine ecosystems. However, the current debate on MTE almost entirely misses still unresolved fundamental question of the validity of the central prediction of MTE—the three quarter- power scaling of metabolic rates of animals and plants. Without resolving this issue any discussion on the applicability of MTE to large-scale patterns is dubious. For this reason, calling the attention of biologists to the problem of generality of the three quarter- power scaling and underlying basic biological processes is badly needed. In particular, a discussion of metabolic scaling in the context of the variation in cell size and function can be much illuminating. I will therefore critically review the assumptions and predictions of MTE as well as the alternative models of metabolic scaling in the context of a large body of information available on the cellular organization of animals and plants. CV Dr. Marek Konarzewski was born in 1961. He is a native of North-East Poland, where he received his undergraduate and graduate education in biology at University of Bialystok (formerly University of Warsaw, Branch in Bialystok). He pursued PhD and Ds.C. degree at Institute of Ecology, Polish Academy of Science and then returned to University of Bialystok, after postdoctoral work at Univeristy of California, Los Angeles. He is now Professor of Biology at Institute of Biology, University of Bialystok and at Mammals Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences in Bialowieza. His main research interests are in the field of physiological ecology and the emerging field of evolutionary physiology. Selected recent Publications Kozlowski J., Konarzewski M. and Gawelczyk A.2003. Cell size as a link between non-coding DNA and metabolic rate scaling. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 100:14083-14085. Ksiazek A., Konarzewski M., Cichon M. and Chadzinska M. 2003. Costs of immune response in cold-stressed laboratory mice selected for high and low BMR. Proceedings of the Royal. Society of London B 270:2025-2031. Brzek. P., and Konarzewski M. 2004. The effect of re-feeding on growth, development and behavior of undernourished sand martin nestlings. The Auk, 121(4):1187-1198. Ksiazek A, Konarzewski M, and Lapo I.B. 2004.Anatomic and energetic correlates of divergent selection for BMR in laboratory mice. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 77(6):890-899. Kozlowski J.,and Konarzewski M. 2004. Is West, Brown and Enquist’s model of allometric scaling mathematically correct and biologically relevant? Functional Ecology. 18:283-289. Konarzewski M. 2004. Meat animals: origin and domestication. In: Encyclopedia of Meat Sciences (W. Jensen, C. Devine, and M. Dikeman, eds.) Elseiver Ltd. Oxford. Konarzewski, M. Ksiazek, A. and Iwona B. Lapo. 2005. Artificial selection on metabolic rates and related traits in rodents. Comparative and Integrative Biology, 45:416-426. Kozlowski, J., and Konarzewski. M. 2005. West, Brown and Enquist's model of allometric scaling again: the same questions remain. Functional Ecology, 19:739-743. Brzek, P., Konarzewski M. 2007. Relationship between avian growth rate and immune response depends on food availability: an experimental study. J. Experimental Biology, 210: 2361-2367 Brzek, P., Bielawska K, Ksiazek A., Konarzewski M. 2007. Anatomic and molecular correlates of divergent selection for basal metabolic rate in laboratory mice. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 80(5), DOI: 10.1086/520617. Szafranska, P., Zub, K., Konarzewski M. 2007. Long-term repeatability of body mass and resting metabolic rate in free living weasels Mustela nivalis. Functional Ecology, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2007.01273.x. Institution address Prof. Dr. Marek Konarzewski Institute of Biology, University of Bialystok and Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences 15-950 Bialystok PO Box 109 Poland Phone: +4885 7457300 Fax: +4885 7457302 marekk@uwb.edu.pl