ON THE RELATION BETWEEN BIRTH WEIGHT AND LITTER SIZE, IN MICE.
For mice, as for various other mammals, the relation between number N of young in a litter and the weight W of the litter can be expressed as W = aN(K). For adequately homogeneous data K has the nonspecific value 0.83. With data not homogeneous with respect to certain conditions the equation may still be descriptive, but with K higher than 0.83. Two kinds of mice obeying this formulation, with the same K, are an albino strain (AA) and a flex-tail foetal anemic (aa). Their ideal weights of a litter of 1 (W(1), free from effects of intrauterine competition) are quite different. Their F(1) offspring (from AA mothers) give W(1) precisely intermediate. To test the partition theory for the basis of the parabolic equation, backcross and F(2) litters were obtained in which for a span of litter sizes there occurred various proportions of anemic to non-anemic young. For equal numbers of each in the same litters the relation of weight of aa to weight of Aa young is again described by W(a) = aW(A) (K), and as before K = 0.83. Examination of the weights of anemic and of non-anemic young, for various proportions of the two in litters of different total numbers, shows that the partition theory can account for a number of the curious relations, including the fact that aa young and Aa young if in mixed litters increase in weight more for an increment of 1 in the litter than if in unmixed litters of the same N. This mechanical result of partitioning can be regarded as a kind of model for heterosis resulting from developmental disharmony.
Crozier
W J
WJ
Biological Laboratories, Harvard University, Cambridge.