
The Social Life of Greylag Geese
Patterns, Mechanisms and Evolutionary Function in an Avian Model System
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
The Social Life of Greylag Geese
Patterns, Mechanisms and Evolutionary Function in an Avian Model System
About this book
The flock of greylag geese established by Konrad Lorenz in Austria in 1973 has become an influential model animal system and one of the few worldwide with complete life-history data spanning several decades. Based on the unique records of nearly 1000 free-living greylag geese, this is a synthesis of more than twenty years of behavioural research. It provides a comprehensive overview of a complex bird society, placing it in an evolutionary framework and drawing on a range of approaches, including behavioural (personality, aggression, pair bonding and clan formation), physiological, cognitive and genetic. With contributions from leading researchers, the chapters provide valuable insight into historic and recent research on the social behaviour of geese. All aspects of goose and bird sociality are discussed in the context of parallels with mammalian social organisation, making this a fascinating resource for anyone interested in integrative approaches to vertebrate social systems.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- The Social Life of Greylag Geese
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Part I Research background
- 1 Greylag geese: from general principles to the Konrad Lorenz flock
- 2 Goose research then and now
- Part II From individual to clan
- 3 Individuals matter: personality
- 4 Maintenance of the monogamous pair bond
- 5 Alternative social and reproductive strategies
- 6 Beyond the pair bond: extended family bonds and female-centred clan formation
- Part III Costs and benefits of social life
- 7 Causes and consequences of aggressive behaviour and dominance rank
- 8 The costs of sociality measured through heart rate modulation
- 9 ‘Tend and befriend’: the importance of social allies in coping with social stress
- 10 How to tell friend from foe: cognition in a complex society
- Part IV Lessons for vertebrate social life
- 11 The greylag goose as a model for vertebrate social complexity
- References
- Index