Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T08:42:18.207Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The distributions of the combinations of the sexes in mammalian litters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2009

William H. James
William H. James
Affiliation:
The Galton Laboratory, University College London
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

There is subnormal dispersion in the distributions of the combinations of the sexes in some samples of litters of pigs, rabbits and mice. For instance, consider litters of exactly size 8. As contrasted with binomial expectation, there are too many with exactly 4 males and 4 females, and too few unisexual litters. It is argued that this supports the hypothesis (independently proposed by the author and by Guerrero) that P, the probability that a zygote will be male, varies with the time at which it is formed within the cycle. It is noted that data of Kaufman seem to support the hypothesis.

Type
Research Article
Information
Genetics Research , Volume 26 , Issue 1 , August 1975 , pp. 45 - 53
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1975

References

REFERENCES

Austin, C. R. & Braden, A. W. H. (1954). Time relations and their significance in the ovulation and penetration of eggs in rats and rabbits. Australian Journal of Biological Science 7, 179–194.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boldrini, M., cited by Gini (1951).Google Scholar
Braden, A. W. H. & Austin, C. R. (1954). Fertilization of the mouse egg and the effect of delayed coitus and of hot-shock treatment. Australian Journal of Biological Science 7, 552–565.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brambell, F. W. R. (1944). The reproduction of the wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus (L). Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 114, 1–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Copeman, S. M. & Parsons, F. G. (1904). Observations on the sex of mice. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London 73, 32–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Döring, H. (1955). Über die Verteilung der Geschlechtskombinationen und die Sterblichkeit bei Schweinwürfen. Zeitschrift für Tierzüchtung 65, 169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, A. W. F. (1960). The meaning of binomial distribution. Nature, London 186, 1074.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fisher, R. A. (1958). Statistical Methods for Research Workers, 13th edn, p. 67. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd.Google Scholar
Flux, J. E. C. (1967). Reproduction and body weights of the hare Lepus europaeus Pallas, in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Science 10, 357–401.Google Scholar
Gini, C. (1908). Il Sesso dal Punto di Vista Statistico. Milan: Sandron.Google Scholar
Gini, C. (1951). Combinations and sequences of sexes in human families and mammal litters. Acta Genetica et Statistica Medica 2, 220–244.Google ScholarPubMed
Grüneberg, H. (1952). Genetics of the mouse. Bibliographia Genetica 15, 1–650.Google Scholar
Guerrero, R. (1970). Sex ratio: a statistical association with the type and time of insemination in the menstrual cycle. International Journal of Fertility 15, 221–225.Google ScholarPubMed
Guerrero, R. (1974). Association of the type and time of insemination within the menstrual cycle with the human sex ratio at birth. New England Journal of Medicine 291, 1056–1059.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Howard, A., McClaren, A., Michie, D. & Sander, G. (1955). Genetic and environmental influences on the secondary sex ratio in mice. Journal of Genetics 53, 200–214.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hughes, W. (1927). Sex-intergrades in fetal pigs. Biological Bulletin, Marine Biology Laboratory, Woods Hole 52, 121–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
James, W. H. (1971). Cycle day of insemination, coital rate and sex ratio Lancet I, 112–114.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
James, W. H. (1975 a). Sex ratio and the sex composition of the existing sibs. Annals of Human Genetics 38, 371–378.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
James, W. H. (1975 b). Sex ratio in large sibships, in the presence of twins and in Jewish sibships. Journal of Biosocial Science 7, 165–169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaufman, M. H. (1973). Analysis of the first cleavage division to determine the sex ratio and incidence of chromosome anomalies at conception in the mouse. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 35, 67–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
MacDowell, E. C. & Loud, E. M. (1925). Data on the primary sex ratio in the mouse. Anatomical Record 31, 143–144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McPhee, H. C. (1927). The swine herd book as a source of data for the investigation of the sex ratio and frequency of sex combinations in pig litters. Journal of Agricultural Research 34, 715–726.Google Scholar
Mills, I. H. (1955). The prenatal sex ratios in wild rabbits. Journal of Endocrinology 12, ix.Google ScholarPubMed
Parker, G. H. & Bullard, C. (1913). On the size of litters and the number of nipples in swine. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Science 49, (7), 399–426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parkes, A. S. (1923). Studies on the sex-ratio and related phenomena. Biometrika 15, 373–381.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robertson, A. (1951). The analysis of heterogeneity in the binomial distribution. Annals of Eugenics 16, 1–15.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Robinson, R. & Cox, H. W. (1970). Reproductive performance in a cat colony over a 10-year period. Laboratory Animals 4, 99–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russo, A. (1907). Cited by Gini (1908), p. 390.Google Scholar
Schultze, O. (1904). Cited by Gini (1908), p. 391.Google Scholar
Selby, L. A., Khalili, A., Stewart, R. W., Edmonds, L. D. & Marienfeld, C. J. (1973). Pathology and epidemiology of conjoined twinning in swine. Teratology 8, 1–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sumner, F. B., McDaniel, M. E. & Huestis, R. R. (1922). A study of influences which may affect the sex ratio of the deer-mouse (Peromyscus). Biological Bulletin of the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole 43, 123–165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Venge, O. (1953). The sex ratio in farm mink. Acta Zoologica, Stockholm 34, 293–302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Verley, F. A., Grahn, D., Leslie, W. P. & Hamilton, K. F. (1967). Sex ratio of mice as possible indicator of mutation rate for sex-linked lethals. Journal of Heredity 58, 285–290.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Watson, J. S. (1957). Reproduction of the wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus (L) in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology B 38, 451–482.Google Scholar
Wentsworth, E. N. (1914). Sex in multiple births. Science, New York 39, 611.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Winzenburger, W. (1936). Die Häufigkeitsverteilung der Geschlechtskombinationen beim Hunde. Zeitschrift für Züchtung, B, Tierzüchtung und Züchtungsbidlogie 36, 227–236.CrossRefGoogle Scholar