TERM PAPER

MECHANISMS AND EVIDENCE FOR BERGMAN’S RULE

Introduction

The publication of Charles Darwin’s “Origin of Species” was the turning point

for nascent evolution theorists. Basically, he posited that organisms evolved

into genotype or specie that breeds progenies which possess attributes of

fitness, survivability, and adaptation to their environment over that of

another genotype. This speciation results are better adapted to their

environment and more likely to increase in frequency over a number of

generations over those that are less adapted, and this difference is not due

to chance (Rittner and MacCabe, 2004, p. 241). H. Allen Orr in his Scientific

American article (Orr, 2009, p. 30) of Rochester University acknowledged

that natural selection demonstrably drives much of evolution and speciation

even today. A contemporary of Darwin, Christian Bergmann published a

paper which embodied his Bergmann's rule that correlates latitude with body

mass in animals. Broadly it asserts that within a species the body mass

increases with latitude and colder climate and decreases with warmer
climate. The difference in size makes this a better adaptive strategy in the

climatic environs these species are found. This paper will attempt to

buttress Bergmann’s Rule from different perspectives.

Bergmann’s Rule as Evidenced in Indigenous Inhabitants of

Different Climates

From a layman’s point of view, Bergmann’s Rule could be quiet evident in the

differences of anatomical physiques of people near the equator and

inhabitants of the arctic region. Nordic and Eskimos have relatively larger

body mass than the indigenous peoples of the Congo or Papua New Guinea.

There are other noticeable differences as well. One of these is postulated by

Allen’s rule which states that populations of a geographically widespread

species living in warm regions will have longer extremities (arms and legs)

than those living in cold regions. The question then is how other evolution

scientists of the current times perceive these observations

Christopher Ruff of the John Hopkins University has conducted studies on

variation of humans in to climate. To make it simple, Ruff views the human

body as a cylinder, the diameter of which represents the width of the body,

or, more specifically, the width of the pelvis; the length of the cylinder

represents trunk length. The link between anatomy and climate relates to

thermoregulation, or the balance between heat produced and the ability to

dissipate it. This relationship translates to the ratio of the surface area to the

volume of the cylinder, or body mass. In hot climates, a high ratio that is, a

large surface area relative to body mass, or a slim, long trunk a facilitates

heat loss. In cold climates, a low ratio that is, a small surface area relative to

body mass, a bulky, short trunk allows heat retention. Simple geometry

shows that the ratio of surface area to body mass is high when the cylinder is

narrow and low when it is wide. Differences in body breadth among human

populations largely explain differences in body mass, the basis of

Bergmann’s rule (Lewin, 2005, p.69). Ruff’s scientific studies could be

summed as follows: on the relationship between body breadth and latitude,

Ruff concluded that people living at high latitudes have broad bodies, as

measured by the bi-iliac (pelvic) breadth; those residing at low latitudes have

narrow bodies; on the relationship between the ratio of surface area to body

mass and latitude people living at high latitudes have a low ratio as a

consequence of Bergmann’s rule; and an increase in the length of the trunk

has no effect on the ratio of surface area to body mass. This latter claim is

interesting since if we confine observations to equatorial Africa, we can

actually see that there are tribal groups (e.g. Nilotics) that are qualified for

NBA basketball and pygmies that are less than five foot in height. Ruff

explained that the answer is related to efficiency of heat dissipation. Humans

rely heavily on sweating to cool their bodies. Nilotics live in open

environments, where sweating is efficient in contrast, Mbuti Pygmies, like

most Pygmy populations, live in moist, humid forests, where the air is still
and sweating is an inefficient cooling mechanism. Under these

environmental conditions, the best strategy is to limit the amount of heat

generated during physical exertion, which is achieved by reducing the

volume of the cylinder. With the width of the cylinder remaining constant,

this requirement implies a reduction of its length in other words, reduced

stature (Ruff, p. 70). On other species, Peter Mayhew came up with the

following finding that for bird species, there was a pattern on the variables

associated with latitude and body size, though not ubiquitous, that would

reinforce Bergmann’s Rule (Mayhew, 2006, p.70).

CONCLUSION

Findings such as indicated on this paper are supportive of Bergmann’s rule.

They may reinforce but not totally validate his thesis. Other studies could be

initiated relating to fossils of prehistoric people and other mammals living

during and after the Ice Age. That great climactic change could have

resulted to a progression relating to Bergmann’s Rule.

References

Rittner, Don and MacCabe, Timothy L. 2004, Encyclopedia of Biology, New

York

H. Allen Orr Testing Natural Selection, Scientific America January 2009 ■

Volume 300 number 1 Scientific American, Inc., 415 Madison Avenue,
New York, N.Y. 10017-1111. Copyright © 2008

Ruff, C.B. 2002, Variation in human body size and shape. Annual Review
Anthropology
2002; 231:11–223.

Lewin, Roger, 2005 Human Evolution: An Illustrated Introduction. 2005

Blackwell Publishing Limited, p. 69

Mayhew, Peter, 2006. Discovering Evolutionary Ecology 3

Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, p. 76.