Do animals' shape and location depend on their surface area/ volume ratio

Abstract

In this the lab we are looking to find why some species of animals are shaped differently depending on their location. There have been other articles that discuss surface area to volume ratios in relationship to heat loss, such as Different Thermoregulatory Strategies in Nearly Weaned Pup, Yearling, and Adult Weddell Seals, (Noren et al., 2009) and Sensible Heat Loss from Muskoxen Feeding in Winter (Munn et al., 2008 ). We graphed the change in core temperatures over time as compared to the surface area to volume ratio. We approached this by making clay analogs to represent badgers and tested their core temperatures. The research we are doing shows the correlation of where animals live climate wise and their surface area to volume ratio.