A phenomenological approach to the theory of the isotope effect in fer
romagnets is developed on the basis of the phenomenon of magnetoelasti
city. Parameters whose experimental measurement permits a quantitative
calculation of the contribution of acoustic phonons to the isotope sh
ift of the Curie temperature are identified. An estimate of the isotop
e shift of the Curie temperature in the Invar alloy Fe0.75Pt0.25 is gi
ven. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.