MULTIPLE BIRTH

in mammalogy, the delivery of more than one offspring in a single birth event. In most mammals the litter size is fairly constant and is roughly correlated with, among other features, body size, gestation period, life span, type of uterus, and number of teats. For example, a large mammal with a normal pregnancy of more than 150 days, a life span of more than 20 years, a simple (or unicornuate) uterus, and two breasts rarely bears more than one young (a singleton) at a birth. The great majority of primates, humans included, fit into this category; multiple births among them are exceptional and occur with decreasing frequency from twins on.