HERITABILITY OF SOME BODY MEASUREMENTS OF NEWBORNS

From a random sample of 274 families, the parent-child correlations an d hence the calculated heritability of nine different morphological fe atures were investigated. The heritability disclosed in this study was clearly lower than in other investigations of older populations. The highest values were determined for the traits: weight, head circumfere nce and thigh circumference. The male newborns showed clearly higher h eritability values than the female newborns. Because the expression of physical traits seemed to be mostly environment-caused. further corre lation coefficients were included in the the investigation as criteria for intrauterine influence.