Limb proportions in terrestrial mammals.

A large sample of terrestrial mammals (Primates excluded) was used to investigate the relative proportions between the lengths of the long bones. In a more reduced number of species, regressions between limb length against body mass, diameters of proximal and distal bones, and metapodial lengths, were calculated. There appears a strong tendency towards isometry, in cases where lengths or diameters are compared. The limb length scales against body mass with an exponent close to that previously postulated (0.34).