Branta Issues > Issue №12 (2009)

Modern approach to description of volume and surface area of bird eggs

Mitiay I.S.

The computer-based method of egg volume and surface area estimation is described. The analysis is performed by digital photographs of eggs with the help of piecewise continuous (smooth) curve equations. The following indices are suggested: the relative volumetric I_rV=V_ov/V_sph, or I_rV= 6k/¶*(D/L)²; the relative surface I_rS=S_ov/S_sph,orI_rS=(k_s*k_v*L*D²)/(4¶(L/2)²)= =(k_s*k_v*L)/¶, where I_rV и.I_rS are indices, V_ov , S_ov ,V_sph , S_sph  - volumes and surface areas of real eggs and spheres of diameters equal to egg length; k_s, k_v are empirical coefficients.