Cell-transfer studies presented here distinguish three murine B cell lineages: conventional B cells, which develop late and are continually replenished from progenitors in adult bone marrow; Ly-1 B cells (B-1a), which develop early and maintain their numbers by self-replenishment; and Ly-1B "sister" (B-1b) cells, which share many of the properties of Ly-1 B cells, including self-replenishment and feedback regulation of development but can also readily develop from progenitors in adult bone marrow. The sequential emergence of these lineages, the time at which their progenitors function during ontogeny, and the distinctions among their repertoires and functions suggest that evolution has created a layered immune system in which the immune response potential of each successive lineage is adapted to its particular niche.