ON THE RELATION BETWEEN LITTER SIZE,BIRTH WEIGHT,AND RATE OF GROWTH,IN MICE

We have been concerned with the connection between size of litter and weight of litter at birth, especially in mice. The weight at birth represents, it is to be presumed (at least in mice, and for certain other cases), the weight at a particular developmental stage. The connection between number in litter (N) and weight of litter (W) has been interpreted as due to the partition of nourishment between mother and young, and on an equal basis among the several embryos of a litter. The "heterogonic" relationship which the data exhibit between N and W shows that the constant K, defined by log W = K log N + const., is independent of the species, and has an essentially constant value (0.85±) in all multiparous mammals; it is therefore regarded as a partition coefficient. In the case of power function relationships between masses of components of a single individual, the respective "drawing powers" of the several organs are diverse, and diverse magnitudes of K are encountered. With developing embryos, the intrinsic drawing powers of the tissues concerned in embryos and mothers are in each case of the same general character, at least among mammals; the constancy of K reflects this. A parallel for the case as it appears in the consideration of relative growth rates of organs in a single individual, and in which the varying magnitudes of the heterogonic growth constant K are presumed to reflect diverse drawing powers of the respective tissues, would be given by intrauterine growth of a litter containing individuals with diverse capacities for growth, —that is, individuals differing genetically with respect to the factors determining the magnitudes of w ₁. We have been dealing with the growth of litters in inbred strains. It is to be presumed that in the case of the growth of a litter containing two categories of individuals so far as concerns intrinsic drawing powers with respect to the nourishment provided by the mother, it would be possible to investigate the way in which K is open to modification. Although difficult, from the standpoint of classifying the individual young, it would appear to be distinctly worth while to make such an experiment, and we have planned it for the future. It is pointed out that for genetic purposes the ideal weight of a litter of 1 is obtainable from a series of measurements of N and W, free from disturbances affecting the apparent value of this quantity as observed in single births. This weight of an ideal litter of 1 should be employed to disentangle the effects of heterosis and fertility factors from those having to do with individual weight at birth. During the suckling period the relation ΔW/W = K (ΔN/N) is maintained for young mice, but with modifications in the case of small and large suckling litters due to (1) the time course of milk yield, and (2) the effect of litter size upon this. It is shown that a growth curve can be obtained for an ideal litter of I, under the condition of milk supply that on each day the mother is able to provide a constant fractional increase of milk for each additional young mouse in the litter. The rate of growth then adheres to the time curve of capacity for production of milk.     

PROXIMATE AND ULTIMATE CONTROLS ON LIFE-HISTORY VARIATION: THE EVOLUTION OF LITTER SIZE IN WHITE-FOOTED MICE (PEROMYSCUS LEUCOPUS)

Recruitment of litter-mates of nest-box-inhabiting white-footed mice was monitored to study the evolution of litter size. The frequency distribution of litter sizes was nonsymmetrical, and the most frequent litter size was less than the optimum. This was not the result of differential parental survival, which was independent of litter size produced. Recruitment remained constant or increased slightly to a peak in litters of five young, and then dropped precipitously for larger litters. The single optimum litter size of five did not appear to have any physiological correlates. Instead, the equally low probability of successful recruitment of any young from any given litter may have given rise to a bet-hedging strategy of frequent iterated reproductions. A theoretical analysis of optimal parental investment in offspring was initiated under the assumption that optimal brood size represents a maximization of differences between age-specific costs and benefits of reproduction, both of which should be measured in constant currency of inclusive fitness. In the past, benefit has been measured by current fecundity, and cost by residual reproductive value. However, reproductive value is an appropriate estimate of inclusive fitness only for organisms in which parental investment has little effect on the subsequent survival of offspring to reproductive age. Reproductive value weighted by offspring survival and devalued by the degree of genetic relatedness defines a new currency, replacement value, which is more appropriate for evaluating the costs and benefits of parent-offspring conflict over parental investment in current as opposed to future young. Total parent-offspring conflict intensifies with increases in current brood size. For species with severe reproductive constraints, such as post-partum estrus in white-footed mice, such conflict may force parents to curtail investment in current offspring at or near parturition of subsequent litters, even if that means reducing the survival of current young.     

发育中小鼠和鸡胚脑微管蛋白的合成与甲状腺功能间的关系

利用 ³H-秋水仙碱与微管蛋白间的特异结合及DEAE纤维素对微管蛋白的离子交换作用,连续测定小鼠、鸡胚脑发育过程中的脑微管蛋白的合成变化。结果表明脑微管蛋白的合成速度均在其脑发育的临界期时达到最高峰。此时恰是甲状腺功能逐渐完善的时期。当小鼠进入育龄期时,雌雄鼠脑微管蛋白含量差异显著。可能说明性激素对微管蛋白的合成有重要影响。     

ON THE RELATION BETWEEN GROWTH AND RESPIRATION IN THE AVENA COLEOPTILE

1. The growth of Avena coleoptile sections in sucrose and auxin solutions is inhibited by various substances which are known to act as dehydrogenase inhibitors. 2. Iodoacetate, which is particularly active in this connection, inhibits all growth at a concentration of 5 x 10^–5 M, but produces only a slight inhibition of oxygen uptake. 3. The growth inhibition by iodoacetate is completely removed by malate and fumarate, and to a lesser extent by succinate and pyruvate. 4. These acids themselves increase the effect of auxin on growth and also increase the respiration of the coleoptile sections, but only if auxin is present. 5. When sections have been soaked in malate or fumarate, the addition of auxin considerably increases the total respiration. Further, the concentration range over which this increase takes place parallels that active in promoting growth. 6. The four-carbon acids provide a respiratory system which is part of the chain of growth processes, and which is in some way catalyzed by auxin. It represents a small but variable fraction of the total respiration.     

囟土白蚁蚁后体形与巢内群体发育及数量的关系

木文报道研究林地囟土白蚁Odontotcrmcs fontanellus Kemner 蚁后体形与巢内群体发育和数量关系的结果.幼年蚁群与成熟蚁群蚁后体长(X)与蚁后体积(Y_V)之间成幂函数关系:Y_v=3.5250×10^-4,蚁后体长与兵蚁、工蚁、幼蚁和整巢蚁群总数之间也成幂函数关系.蚁后体长(X)与蚁群总数的关系是:Y_t=0.02491X^4.2628,蚁后体长(X)与蚁巢深度(Y_d)之间的关系是:Y_d=0.50009X^1.325,蚁后体长(X)与蚁巢体积(Y_n)的关系是:Y_n=0.00098X^4.5611,在一般情况下,根据蚁后体长大小就可预测蚁群量的多少及蚁巢深浅、巢积大小以及蚁路远近,可给治理林地及水库堤坝白蚁的危害提供有用的数据.     

CLUTCH SIZE, EGG SIZE, HATCH WEIGHT AND LAYING DATE IN RELATION TO EARLY MORTALITY IN RED GROUSE LAGOPUS LAGOPUS SCOTICUS CHICKS

Clutches of Red Grouse eggs were collected from the wild and subsequent hatching and rearing done in standard conditions in captivity. Variations in chick survival from one clutch to another in the same year were related to differences in hatch weight. Hatch weight was determined only partly by egg size. Weight loss between laying and hatching was related to survival independently of egg size. Variation in this weight loss obscured any simple relationship between egg size and survival, except in eggs laid by captive hens. Intrinsic differences amongst hens caused some variations in laying date, egg size, hatch weight and chick survival. Variations in egg size and hatch weight accounted for less than half the variation in survival; other unmeasured intrinsic factors were also important. Big clutches hatched earlier than small ones. The commonest clutches were of seven and eight eggs, with six and nine frequent. Very big clutches of ten or more eggs were infrequent and chicks from them sometimes survived worse than from smaller clutches. As in other species, the commonest clutch sizes were not the most productive. There was no simple relationship between egg size and clutch size.     

禁食对小鼠体重、SOD和丙二醛含量的影响

给小鼠禁食4天后观察体重、肝SOD和心肌丙二醛的影响。结果表明,禁食期间小鼠的体重明显减轻,复食后体重很快恢复;肝脏SOD的活性明显提高,心肌丙二醛的含量显著下降。提示短期禁食具有抗衰老的效应,可提高机体的生存能力。     

鱼类的重量-身体维数关系的研究

在运用一元数学公式:W=alb(或W=aLb)来描述鱼类的重量与身体维数关系时存在许多缺陷。作者从确立一条模式鱼的边界曲线方程出发,应用求旋转体体积的方法建立了鱼类重量与长度、体高的多元数学公式: W=alb1Hb2(或W=aLb1Hb2),并推演出鱼类重量与长度、体高、体周长之间的另外两种关系式: W=alb1Sb3(或W=aLb1Sb3) 和W=alb1Hb2Sb3(或W=aLb1Hb2Sb3)。上述几类多元数学公式在用来拟合白鲢、翘嘴红鲌和长春鳊种群及它们的不同生长阶段的观测数据时,都比一元数学公式更接近于实际情况,由多元数学公式进行预报的精度也比一元数学公式高。多元数学公式之所以优于一元数学公式是因为多元数学公式能够较全面地反映不同维数对鱼体重量的综合影响。对于不同体形的鱼类,不同维数对重量影响的程度是不同的,因此在应用时应有所选择。从多元数学公式的组成及应用情况看,真正有使用价值的是考虑了体周长的二元数学公式。由于体高易于测量,为此考虑了体高的二元数学公式更具有实用价值。作者建议,在鱼类生长的理论与应用研究中,可采用: W=alb1Hb2(或W=aLb1Hb2) 和W=alb1Sb3(或W=aLb1Sb3) 来描述鱼类的重量与身体维数之间的关系。       

松嫩平原南部植被与环境相关性的探讨

从环境格局入手,分析植被对环境的反应,是研究植被与环境相关性的一条途径。本文采用该途径。从生态种组入手,分析松嫩平原南部植被与环境的相关性,根据该区自然条件的特点,用生态系列表,分析植物对土壤盐碱,水分,有机质和氮素的含量以及土壤酸度的反应。依植物对上述各因素要求的相似性划分单因子生态种组,并以此为基础,综合植物对上述各因素反应的相似性,划分了11个综合因子生态种组,阐明 生态种组与植物群落及立地的关系。依据三者的关系,结合牧业生产,划分了4个立地类型。