Theory 47/Organism/Cardiovascular scaling
Heart Rate Scales With Metabolism
The claim
Heart rate is set by the ratio of metabolic rate to body mass rather than by mass alone, so animals with elevated metabolism have faster hearts than their size predicts.
01Mechanism
The heart must supply oxygen for metabolism; the ratio sets the required delivery rate.
02Prediction
Heart rate should track the ratio.
03Refutation
Heart rate tracking mass would remove metabolism.