411 REFERENCE · Wiktionary
Allen's rule
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
English
Etymology
Formulated by Joel Asaph Allen in 1877.
Proper noun
An ecogeographic principle broadly stating that animals adapted to cold climates have relatively short limbs. Specifically, homeothermic animals in hot climates have low volume-to-surface ratios, and homeothermic animals in cold climates have high volume-to-surface ratios, due to thermal adaptation.
en eponyms