Does the climate have anything to do with our weight, calorie burning and body size? Much more than you may think!
Allen's rule and Bergmann's Rule are the notions that bodies are rounder and larger in colder climates in order to keep these bodies warm. This is due to the understanding that large bodies shed heat at a faster rate than smaller bodies. Shorter bodies in colder climates will help keep them warm due to using less energy having to keep a larger body warm. Although this mostly relates to shorter limbs, shorter body parts will equal less heat needed to heat the entire body.
A body's surface area differs depending on where a person is located to keep them warmer, also note that this will burn calories at different rates as well. A person in colder climates may burn more calories than someone who is in a warmer climate.
Also, someone who is shorter living in a colder climate (limb size- Allen's Rule) may eat more than someone who is tall, burning calories at a different rate as well due to inner body temperature and metabolism.
A study done, according to Dennis O'Neil, indicated that people in colder climates actually had higher body mass to keep them warmer.
Although someone who lives in NY or Alaska doesn't explain fat and thin bodies, it may explain why some people are thinner and some people gain weight easier. Ancestors from colder climates may result in future bodies being thinner than someone whose ancestors lived in a warmer climate. And perhaps that reason is the exact reason why fatness and leanness comes in all different sizes and forms, because of where we live, our bodies reaction to the temperature and our body's inner temperature and how fast our body burns calories due to metabolism and outside influences such as the weather vs someone else's body's ability to burn calories at a faster or slower rate.
Together, these rules can explain why so many numerous body sizes, fatness and leanness exist while demonstrating that burning calories and hunger are not the same for everyone.
A body's surface area differs depending on where a person is located to keep them warmer, also note that this will burn calories at different rates as well. A person in colder climates may burn more calories than someone who is in a warmer climate.
Also, someone who is shorter living in a colder climate (limb size- Allen's Rule) may eat more than someone who is tall, burning calories at a different rate as well due to inner body temperature and metabolism.
A study done, according to Dennis O'Neil, indicated that people in colder climates actually had higher body mass to keep them warmer.
Although someone who lives in NY or Alaska doesn't explain fat and thin bodies, it may explain why some people are thinner and some people gain weight easier. Ancestors from colder climates may result in future bodies being thinner than someone whose ancestors lived in a warmer climate. And perhaps that reason is the exact reason why fatness and leanness comes in all different sizes and forms, because of where we live, our bodies reaction to the temperature and our body's inner temperature and how fast our body burns calories due to metabolism and outside influences such as the weather vs someone else's body's ability to burn calories at a faster or slower rate.
Together, these rules can explain why so many numerous body sizes, fatness and leanness exist while demonstrating that burning calories and hunger are not the same for everyone.
References
Haneef, Deena T Kochunni Jazir. “'Rules' in Ecology- Allen.” 'Rules' in Ecology- Allen’s Rule, Bergman’s Rule..., 19 Nov. 2017, www.biologyexams4u.com/2012/04/rules-in-ecology.html#.WhHWIVWnHrd.
Weaver, Peter. “Topic: Allen's Rule.” Dictionary Error, 19 Nov. 2017, www.birdcare.com/bin/showdict?allens%2Brule.
Carr, Steven M. “Allen's Rule in Lepus.” Allen's Rule in Lepus, 19 Nov. 2017, www.mun.ca/biology/scarr/Lepus_variation.htm.
O'Neil, Dennis. “Adapting to Climate Extremes.” Human Biological Adaptability: Adapting to Climate Extremes, 19 Nov. 2017, www2.palomar.edu/anthro/adapt/adapt_2.htm.
Thermal Regulation and Allen’s Rule and Bergmann’s Rule.19 Nov. 2017, https://www.unl.edu/rhames/courses/ppoint/heat-110.pdf
Shelomi, Matan, and Dirk Zeuss. “Bergmann's and Allen's Rules in Native European and Mediterranean Phasmatodea.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 21 Mar. 2017, www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2017.00025/full.
Laden, Greg. “Allen's Rule, Phenotypic Plasticity, and The Nature of Evolution.” Greg Laden's Blog, 20 Oct. 2012, gregladen.com/blog/2012/10/20/allens-rule-phenotypic-plasticity-and-the-nature-of-evolution/.
Berge, Aislinn. “Do Bergmann's and Allen's Rules Still Function in Humans Today?”Academia.edu, 19 Nov. 2017, www.academia.edu/11531750/Do_Bergmanns_and_Allens_rules_still_function_in_humans_today.
Haneef, Deena. “'Rules' in Ecology- Allen.” 'Rules' in Ecology- Allen’s Rule, Bergman’s Rule, Gause's Hypothesis, Gloger’s Rule, Jordon’s Rule, Gordu’s Rule, Rensch’s Rule, and Yoda’s Law ~, 19 Nov. 2017, www.biologyexams4u.com/2012/04/rules-in-ecology.html#.WhHn3FWnHrd.
Encyclopedia. “Bergmanns Rule.” A Dictionary of Ecology, Encyclopedia.com, 19 Nov. 2017, www.encyclopedia.com/earth-and-environment/ecology-and-environmentalism/environmental-studies/bergmanns-rule.
“Ecogeographic Rules.” Ecogeographic Rules. Retrieved from https://www.colorado.edu/geography/class_homepages/geog_3351_f12/pdf/15_Ecogeographic_Rules.pdf.
Water and Woods. “Bergmann's Rule.” Water And Woods, 19 Nov. 2017, waterandwoods.net/2008/10/bergmann%E2%80%99s-rule/.
New World Encyclopedia. “Bergmann's Rule.” Bergmann's Rule - New World Encyclopedia, 19 Nov. 2017, www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Bergmann%27s_rule.
Wikipedia. “Bergmann's Rule.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Nov. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergmann%27s_rule.
Foster, Frederick, and Mark Collard. “A Reassessment of Bergmann's Rule in Modern Humans.” PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, 19 Nov. 2017, journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0072269.
bergmann's rule. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage® Science Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. http://www.dictionary.com/browse/bergmann-s-rule (accessed: November 19, 2017).
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 81, Issue 4, 1 April 2004, Pages 579–588, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2004.00310.x
Published: 01 April 2004
The American Biology Teacher 78(5):429-432. 2016
https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2016.78.5.429
Haneef, Deena T Kochunni Jazir. “'Rules' in Ecology- Allen.” 'Rules' in Ecology- Allen’s Rule, Bergman’s Rule..., 19 Nov. 2017, www.biologyexams4u.com/2012/04/rules-in-ecology.html#.WhHWIVWnHrd.
Weaver, Peter. “Topic: Allen's Rule.” Dictionary Error, 19 Nov. 2017, www.birdcare.com/bin/showdict?allens%2Brule.
Carr, Steven M. “Allen's Rule in Lepus.” Allen's Rule in Lepus, 19 Nov. 2017, www.mun.ca/biology/scarr/Lepus_variation.htm.
O'Neil, Dennis. “Adapting to Climate Extremes.” Human Biological Adaptability: Adapting to Climate Extremes, 19 Nov. 2017, www2.palomar.edu/anthro/adapt/adapt_2.htm.
Thermal Regulation and Allen’s Rule and Bergmann’s Rule.19 Nov. 2017, https://www.unl.edu/rhames/courses/ppoint/heat-110.pdf
Shelomi, Matan, and Dirk Zeuss. “Bergmann's and Allen's Rules in Native European and Mediterranean Phasmatodea.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 21 Mar. 2017, www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2017.00025/full.
Laden, Greg. “Allen's Rule, Phenotypic Plasticity, and The Nature of Evolution.” Greg Laden's Blog, 20 Oct. 2012, gregladen.com/blog/2012/10/20/allens-rule-phenotypic-plasticity-and-the-nature-of-evolution/.
Berge, Aislinn. “Do Bergmann's and Allen's Rules Still Function in Humans Today?”Academia.edu, 19 Nov. 2017, www.academia.edu/11531750/Do_Bergmanns_and_Allens_rules_still_function_in_humans_today.
Haneef, Deena. “'Rules' in Ecology- Allen.” 'Rules' in Ecology- Allen’s Rule, Bergman’s Rule, Gause's Hypothesis, Gloger’s Rule, Jordon’s Rule, Gordu’s Rule, Rensch’s Rule, and Yoda’s Law ~, 19 Nov. 2017, www.biologyexams4u.com/2012/04/rules-in-ecology.html#.WhHn3FWnHrd.
Encyclopedia. “Bergmanns Rule.” A Dictionary of Ecology, Encyclopedia.com, 19 Nov. 2017, www.encyclopedia.com/earth-and-environment/ecology-and-environmentalism/environmental-studies/bergmanns-rule.
“Ecogeographic Rules.” Ecogeographic Rules. Retrieved from https://www.colorado.edu/geography/class_homepages/geog_3351_f12/pdf/15_Ecogeographic_Rules.pdf.
Water and Woods. “Bergmann's Rule.” Water And Woods, 19 Nov. 2017, waterandwoods.net/2008/10/bergmann%E2%80%99s-rule/.
New World Encyclopedia. “Bergmann's Rule.” Bergmann's Rule - New World Encyclopedia, 19 Nov. 2017, www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Bergmann%27s_rule.
Wikipedia. “Bergmann's Rule.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Nov. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergmann%27s_rule.
Foster, Frederick, and Mark Collard. “A Reassessment of Bergmann's Rule in Modern Humans.” PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, 19 Nov. 2017, journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0072269.
bergmann's rule. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage® Science Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. http://www.dictionary.com/browse/bergmann-s-rule (accessed: November 19, 2017).
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 81, Issue 4, 1 April 2004, Pages 579–588, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2004.00310.x
Published: 01 April 2004
The American Biology Teacher 78(5):429-432. 2016
https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2016.78.5.429