title: Postnatal growth rate and adult body weight in mammals: a new approach.
abstract: It is argued that the postnatal growth rate should be linked to maternal body weight by the exponent 0.75. This theoretically derived hypothesis is found to be consistent with published data on the growth rates of mammals in nine orders. We emphasize the importance of defining the taxonomic level and period for which postnatal growth rates are measured.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biométrie, URA 243, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon I, 43 Bd du 11, novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne cedex, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pontier
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biométrie, URA 243, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon I, 43 Bd du 11, novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne cedex, France.|ONC CNERA Cervidés sanglier, 1 place Exelmans, 55000, Bar Le Duc, France.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gaillard
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biométrie, URA 243, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon I, 43 Bd du 11, novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne cedex, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Allainé
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biométrie, URA 243, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon I, 43 Bd du 11, novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne cedex, France.|ENGREF, 19 Avenue du Maine, 75732, Paris cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trouvilliez
authors.affiliation: Station Biologique, La Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13200, Arles, France.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.affiliation: Station Biologique, La Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13200, Arles, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Duncan
keywords: Allometry; Body size; Mammals; Postnatal growth rate