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Construction of low‐variability litters of preweaning mice
Author(s) -
Epstein Herman T.,
Goldstein Larry B.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.420100611
Subject(s) - weaning , litter , biology , zoology , body weight , ecology , endocrinology
Abstract Mouse litter variation at weaning stems from a combination of genetic makeup, intrauterine experience, and postnatal maternal care. The 1st 2 factors may be matched at birth by making up separate litters out of littermate pairs whose birth weights are equal (± .02 g). Maternal competence may be matched by exchanging the mothers between the 2 cages each day. These tactices yield litters at weaning whose variability has been very much reduced. The range of litter‐average body weights has been reduced from about 40% to about 5% and the range of litter‐average brain weights has been reduced from about 15% to about 1‐2%.