title: Morphometric studies in inbred and hybrid house mice. VIII. Effects of litter size on brain size and body size.
abstract: Litter size, brain size, and body size were examined in inbred and hybrid house mice of three different ages in order to test whether litter size exhibits a positive genetic, but negative environmental association with both brain and body size. As estimated from among-line covariation, litter size showed a positive, but non-significant genetical association with brain and body size. It also showed a significant, negative environmental association with brain and body size, as hypothesized. Over all inbreds and hybrids, litter size explained 8% and 14%, respectively, of the within-strain (environmental) variation in brain and body size. It was concluded that the negative phenotypic association of litter size with brain size and especially body size is the reflection of a well-known negative maternal environmental effect whereby mice with large body sizes tend to produce larger litters of mice with smaller body sizes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Charlotte 28223.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leamy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001827:Body Height / Q000235:genetics*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000235:genetics*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D008098:Litter Size / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics*; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics*; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics*; D009929:Organ Size