Figure 5: Relationship between individual growth rate and vertebral number.
From: Causes and consequences of intra-specific variation in vertebral number
Growth rate of Esox lucius pike as reconstructed based on measurements of the first three annual growth zones in cleithrum and representing length increment (per year) during the first three years of life. Numbers in italics above the horizontal axis denote sample sizes. The curvilinear relationship between growth rate and vertebral number remained significant when data for the outlier individual with 56 vertebrae was omitted from the analysis (quadratic regression analysis based on mean values for each vertebral number class, y = −586.6 + 19.5 (±3.93 SE) X–0.16 (±0.033 SE) X2; test of linear effect: t = 4.96, P = 0.0157; test of quadratic effect: t = −4.87, P = 0.0165, the full model was significant F2,3 = 38.4, P = 0.0073, R2 = 0.96). Figure panel show means ± s.d. Data are for individuals from subpopulation O.
