The effect of environmental temperature on the growth of vertebrae in the tail of the mouse.

C3H mice were bred at 30 °C and 22 °C. At 28 days of age the lengths of the sacral and caudal vertebrae were measured from radiographs and related to the local skin temperature. Growth of the sacral and proximal caudal vertebrae was slightly retarded in the hot environment, but the distal caudal vertebrae showed increased growth which could be quantitatively related to an increase in skin temperature. This suggests that in hot climates the increased growth of peripheral organs of some mammals is due to local increases in tissue temperature.