Understanding how organisms adapt requires linking performance and microhabitat. However, measuring performance, especially maximum performance, can sometimes be difficult. Here we describe an improvement over previous techniques of only considering the largest observed values as maxima. Instead, we model expected performance observations via the Weibull distribution, a statistical approach that reduces the impact of rare observations. After calculating group-level weighted averages and variances by treating individuals separately to reduce pseudoreplication, our approach resulted in high statistical power despite small sample sizes. We fit lizard adhesive performance and bite force data to the Weibull distribution and found it to closely estimate maximum performance in both cases, illustrating the generality of our approach. Using the Weibull distribution to estimate observed performance greatly improves upon previous techniques by facilitating power analyses and error estimations around robustly estimated maximum values.
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METHODS & TECHNIQUES|
01 January 2016
Modeling observed animal performance using the Weibull distribution
Travis J. Hagey,
Travis J. Hagey
*
1
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
2
BEACON Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI USA
*Author for correspondence: tjhagey@uidaho.edu
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Jonathan B. Puthoff,
Jonathan B. Puthoff
3
Biology Department, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR, USA
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Kristen E. Crandell,
Kristen E. Crandell
4
Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Kellar Autumn,
Kellar Autumn
3
Biology Department, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR, USA
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Luke J. Harmon
Luke J. Harmon
1
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
5
Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Eawag Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Center for Ecology, Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
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Travis J. Hagey
*
1
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
2
BEACON Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI USA
Jonathan B. Puthoff
3
Biology Department, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR, USA
Kristen E. Crandell
4
Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Kellar Autumn
3
Biology Department, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR, USA
Luke J. Harmon
1
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
5
Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Eawag Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Center for Ecology, Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
*Author for correspondence: tjhagey@uidaho.edu
Received:
10 Aug 2015
Accepted:
05 Mar 2016
Online ISSN: 1477-9145
Print ISSN: 0022-0949
© 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd
2016
J Exp Biol jeb.129940.
Article history
Received:
10 Aug 2015
Accepted:
05 Mar 2016
Currently Viewing Accepted Manuscript - Newer Version Available
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Travis J. Hagey, Jonathan B. Puthoff, Kristen E. Crandell, Kellar Autumn, Luke J. Harmon; Modeling observed animal performance using the Weibull distribution. J Exp Biol 2016; jeb.129940. doi: https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.129940
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