Equivalent ages in rat, mouse and chick embryos.

Data for estimating equivalent ages of rat, mouse and chick embryos are presented, using several sources from the literature. When the time of development of various embryonic structures is matched for the three species, the differences in time for the stages are primarily due to delays in development of the preimplantation blastulas of the rat and mouse in comparison with the incubated chick egg. Development from the blastula stage to completion of major organogenesis proceeds at approximately the same rate for all three species.