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 formallyinappropriate), empirically adequate, and having ‘appropriatebiological characteristics’. No function is justifiablefrom reductionist theories, but Belehrádek's, rate =a (temp – T₀)^b, with b fixed for the taxon of interest,fits equally well, and singularly distinguishes differencesattributable to temperature adaptation (T₀, often misunderstoodas ‘biological zero’), and to size or other species-dependentproperties (a).