The rate of spontaneous sex‐linked mutations and the doubling dose in man

摘要

SummaryA method is presented by which the spontaneous rate of mutations for recessive sex‐linked detrimentals in man may be estimated from the recorded excess of male over female deaths during uterine life. By applying this method to data collected by Stevenson (1959) an estimate of 0–0068 is reached for the frequency of mutations to sex‐linked detrimentals which act between the third week after conception and birth. The elimination caused by 1 rad of irradiation is estimated as being 0–000052 on the basis of data by LejeuneTurpin (1957) and SchullNeel (1958). From these estimates it is calculated that (a) 192 rad would be needed to double the natural elimination in the generation following irradiation,(b)68 rad is an overestimate or upper limit for the doubling dose, and (c) assuming 0–5 as the average selective disadvantage for sex‐linked recessive detrimentals the doubling dose is 34 rad. A number of causes of error ar