Bergmann's rule

noun

Berg·​mann's rule
ˈbərg-mənz,
ˈberg-
: a statement of the principle that within a polytypic wide-ranging species of warm-blooded animals the average body size of members of each geographic race varies inversely with the mean environmental temperature

Word History

Etymology

after Karl Bergmann †1865 German biologist

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Cite this Entry

“Bergmann's rule.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Bergmann%27s%20rule. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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