Small body size is associated with superior longevity in several intraspeci
es comparisons, including dogs bred for specific forms of work, mice and ra
ts fed diets low in calories, rats fed diets low in methionine, and mutant
mice whose levels of growth hormone and thyroid hormone are atypically low.
To further investigate the interactions among body size, genetic endowment
, and longevity, we measured the life span of female mice selectively bred
from Institute for Cancer Research stock for differences in rate of body we
ight gain. These mice were selected for differential rates of growth either
early (0-10 days) or later (26-56 days) in the first 2 months of life. The
data show a good correlation between the average weight of the stock and i
ts mean longevity, with low body size associated, as predicted, with longer
life span. Weight at 3, 6, and 12 months, and weight at peak body weight,
are all significant predictors of longevity (among stocks) in univariate re
gressions; weight at 6 months has the strongest association in stepwise mul
tiple regression. There Is no significant correlation between the life span
for the stock and the proportion of deaths attributable to neoplasia in th
is group of mice. The data provide support for the hypothesis that genetic
factors that influence early life growth trajectories can have a strong inf
luence on life span. These size-selected mice provide useful tools for anal
ysis of the genetic factors that influence life history parameters, includi
ng maturation and aging rates.