Imprinting There is one unique ability limited to birds alone that makes geese, the first, and ducks, the second, most natural animal companions to humans. That ability, which is one of the strongest forces in nature, is the imprint. The Austrian naturalist Konrad Zacharias Lorenz became the first to codify and establish the science behind the biological phenomenon known as “imprinting.” Lorenz demonstrated how incubator-hatched geese would imprint (phase-sensitive learning) on the first suitable moving stimulus they saw within what he called a critical period” between 13–16 hours shortly after hatching. For example, goslings would imprint on Lorenz himself (to be more specific, on his wading boots), and he is often depicted being followed by a gaggle of geese who had imprinted on him. No one understands exactly what happens inside a bird’s brain when imprinting occurs, but the results are unmistakable. Check out this video…pliments from Anzelle Pieretti!
Posted on: Fri, 02 May 2014 20:32:36 +0000
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