The metabolic theory of ecology predicts that rates of metabolic processes play a central role in constraining important fitness traits such as home‐range size. Locomotory behaviours are physiologically expensive, yet the relative importance of the animal's energetics in determining their home ranges is unknown. It is tested here whether maintenance costs (BMR; basal metabolic rate), energetic capacity (VO₂ₘₐₓ; maximum metabolic rate) or available energy above self‐maintenance (aerobic scope) are related to the size of mammalian home ranges using phylogenetic comparative methods. The first quantitative support for the hypothesis that home‐range size is limited by metabolic rates, accounting for variation in body mass, is presented. In particular, the negative effect of BMR, along with the positive effect of VO₂ₘₐₓ, on home‐range size revealed that aerobic scope plays a prominent role in constraining home ranges. These findings suggest optimization of energy allocation where past selection promoted an increase in mobility at the lowest possible body maintenance costs. High aerobic capacity is needed to operate large home ranges. However, in habitats of limited productivity, the associated increase in self‐maintenance constrains energy allocation to locomotory behaviours, reinforcing the importance of metabolic processes in ecology. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

中文翻译：

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哺乳动物家庭范围大小的能量限制

生态学的代谢理论预测，代谢过程的速率在限制重要的健康特征（如家庭范围大小）方面起着核心作用。运动行为在生理上是昂贵的，但动物能量在确定它们的家庭范围方面的相对重要性尚不清楚。这里使用系统发育比较方法测试维持成本（BMR；基础代谢率）、能量容量（VO2ₘₐₓ；最大代谢率）或高于自我维持的可用能量（有氧范围）是否与哺乳动物家庭范围的大小有关。提出了家庭范围大小受代谢率限制的假设的第一个定量支持，解释了体重的变化。特别是 BMR 的负面影响，以及 VO₂ₘₐₓ 的积极影响，关于家庭范围大小的研究表明，有氧范围在限制家庭范围方面起着重要作用。这些发现表明能量分配的优化，其中过去的选择以尽可能低的身体维护成本促进了流动性的增加。需要高有氧能力来经营大型家庭范围。然而，在生产力有限的栖息地，自我维持的相关增加限制了能量分配给运动行为，加强了代谢过程在生态学中的重要性。可以在本文的支持信息中找到免费的普通语言摘要。需要高有氧能力来经营大型家庭范围。然而，在生产力有限的栖息地，自我维持的相关增加限制了能量分配给运动行为，加强了代谢过程在生态学中的重要性。可以在本文的支持信息中找到免费的普通语言摘要。需要高有氧能力来经营大型家庭范围。然而，在生产力有限的栖息地，自我维持的相关增加限制了能量分配给运动行为，加强了代谢过程在生态学中的重要性。可以在本文的支持信息中找到免费的普通语言摘要。