Post-pubescent to mature fathers: Increase in progeny quality?

Abstract

In the mouse, offspring born from mature fathers exhibit better behavioural performances (for spontaneous activity in both sex and learning capacity in males) than those born from post-pubescent fathers. These behavioural variations are not accompanied by other obvious modifications. They could correspond to what has been observed in man relating to the results in a psychometric test undergone by male progeny born from very young to mature fathers. These data and those which show a decrease in mental performance in rats and human males born from mature to senescent fathers suggest the participation of some genetic factors in these phenomena.