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Figure 3 | BMC Developmental Biology

Figure 3

From: Developmental biologists' choice of subjects approximates to a power law, with no evidence for the existence of a special group of 'model organisms'

Figure 3

The changing fortunes of the 'top ten' organisms (see table 2) between 1965 and 2005. (a) shows the absolute incidence of each of these organisms appearing in a paper in each of the years under study. (b) shows the cumulative incidence of the data in each of these years. It is clear that the rate of change of attention lavished on any organism in one year cannot be deduced simply from the data of an earlier year. The attention paid to some organisms (eg Mus) increases consistently while that paid to others (eg Gallus and Rattus) rises then declines: significantly, lines cross, which they would not do in a simple mechanism of preferential attachment.

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