Maternal effects on body weight in mice selected for large and small size

Abstract

SUMMARY Fertilized eggs were transferred reciprocally between large and small mothers, to study maternal effects on body weight in mice selected for large and small size, respectively. Prenatal maternal effects were not important in our material, but postnatal maternal effects were detectable. The postnatal effects accrued mostly from the inadequacy of small mothers for large offspring; small offspring were largely unaffected by the type of mother. Genetic maternal effects were only of limited importance; maternal influences of environmental origin arose from variation in litter size.