It is notable that those animals which show the most severe phenotype, Gtl2Δ5'NeoPatB6, also show the lowest levels of Dlk1. The Gtl2lacZPat and Gtl2Δ5'NeoPat animals also show loss of imprinting of Gtl2 and Meg8/Rian, and it cannot be ruled out that changes in the levels of these transcripts are causative for the dwarfism. The gene discussed is MEG8; the disease is Severe short stature.