Theory 48/Biology & physiology/Amphibian skin
Water Loss Is Area Against Barrier
The claim
Cutaneous water loss in amphibians is set by the ratio of surface area to lipid barrier thickness, so a small species loses relatively more.
01Mechanism
Loss scales with area while protection scales with barrier thickness.
02Prediction
Loss should track the ratio.
03Refutation
Loss tracking habitat aridity would remove geometry.