A Theory of Feeding and Growth of Animals

Geoffrey R. Dolby, PhD One of the principal characteristics of a scientific theory is that it be falsifiable. It must contain predictions about the real world which can be put to experimental test. Another very important characteristic of a good theory is that it should take full cognisance of the literature of the discipline in which it is embedded, and that it should be able to explain, at least as well as its competitors, those experimental results which workers in the discipline accept without dispute. Readers of John Parks' book will be left in no doubt that his theory of the feed­ ing and growth of animals meets both of the above criteria. The author's knowl­ edge of the literature of animal science and the seriousness of his attempt to incor­ porate the results of much previous work into the framework of the present theory result in a rich and imaginative integration of diverse material concerned with the growth and feeding of animals through time, a theory which is made more precise through the judicious use of mathematics. The presentation is such that the key concepts are introduced gradually and readers not accustomed to a mathematical treatment will find that they can appreciate the ideas without undue trauma. The key concepts are clearly illustrated by means of a generous set of figures. The crux of the theory comprises three differential Eqs. (7. 1-7.