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Control of Sex Ratio in Mammals

Abstract

WEIR1 selected individuals of a heterogeneous strain of mice for high and low blood pH and established lines averaging at pH 7.42 and pH. 1.46. The sex ratio of the two lines was found to diverge from 50 : 50 to approximately 40 : 60 and 60 : 40. Acid lines produced an excess of female progeny and alkali lines an excess of males. On reciprocally crossing, Weir found that the whole of the sex ratio divergence was due to the male pH; the female pH seemed to exert no influence.

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McWHIRTER, K. Control of Sex Ratio in Mammals. Nature 178, 870–871 (1956). https://doi.org/10.1038/178870a0

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