A Comparison of Growth Curves of Man and Other Animals.

\ quant!tativ,: comparison between the age curves of growth in weight of man a, nd other all'llIals IS prc:sclltc,d. I. The lU?st c,onspicuous diff crt:llcc: uPl?ear:;; in the rcla­ lively extreme length of the Juven!lc: period In man, and in the rcl:ltIvcly extremely low pcrccII, tllge ra�e of growth dur:ng tile same period. 2. The positioll of inflection (pll U�rlY) IS, n:lal1vt, ly .. . VC�)' i:ltc 111 the period of growth ill mal). 3, Outside of the rellHlvdy very late L�HI�tlOII ,?f puberty in man, the properties of tilt sea;ment of lhe _ g,rowtll curve begllll, lIng wltl� ,Pullen), are ,qua.litat!vel'y and cpwntitauvely the s?llle III man alld other aIllJl!als . 4: I her� are (Iliahrauve dlR:ercnces bet wee II the proper­ tIC:s of the segment of the I�fanule ,l>erlo� of m�n and anlluals. In animals the per­ centa�e rate of growdl. dun � lg �he Irlf�lltIle period appears to he constant, while in !llan It �pp7ars to dedll�e witil IUcre:lslllg age. 5. The age curve of prenatal growth 11\ Illall . ln d lcat�s a. relntlvdy low percentage rate of growth as cOllJlHlrcd to the cor­ rcspolI(b u g penod !Il o. ther .:I!limnls. In addition to the quarlliultive differences [here llJa� ulso . be a quahtauve (!lflerclIcc between the growth curves of IlHIIl. and animals �lurlnB d.lls period. 6. l\S IJI Other animals, growth in length appears to be approx_ Imately linear whenever growth in weigh t is exponential. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The principal portion of the expenses involved i;1 this investigation was paid from a. grant I>y the Committee on Food and Nutrition of die Natiollnl Hesearch COllncl1. Grateful acknow.ledgllleni is IlHlde for this cooperation, whicll was rcceived til rough Ihe recommendation of Dr. Graham Lusk, Chairman . . qrateful acknowledgment is made to F. B. Mumford and .�. C. Ragsdale for theIr Interest in and support of this work. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IX. 'Fill, Speetal Re./erCl/ce to DOlllestic Animals A Comparison of Growth Curves of Man and Other Animals SAMUEL BRODY