THE’imprintingused for the first time by the ethologist Konrad Lorenzdescribes a particular form of early learning for exposure, observed in various animal species, according to which babies recognize how mother the first stimulus in motion observed immediately after birth. An essential contribution to discovering imprinting is attributed to Martinaa wild eye that “chose” Lorenz like “mother”following the scientist everywhere for months until adulthood. Thanks to her and her studies on imprinting, Lorenz was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology in 1973 Together with Nikolaas Tinbergen and Karl von Frisch. The word “imprinting“Today, it is part of our common language and is used to describe those situations in which something (or someone) affects us instinctively and deeply to us first meetingto the point of feeling strongly tied To it.
Who was the goose Martina and because it was important for Lorenz
Around the 1935 The doctor and zoologist Konrad Lorenz He had a meeting that proved to be fundamental for his career and ethology: the one with thegoose Martina. The two met in Altenberg, an Austrian village on the banks of the Danube, where Lorenz lived in his home-laboratory. Here, among the numerous gardens and the pond that surrounded the villa, Lorenz hosted several animal specieswhose natural behavior observed. Since childhood, in fact, the future Nobel prize nourished a strong passion for study of animal behaviorin particular of the Aquatic birds.
It was precisely during one of his experiments that Lorenz attended the event that he would change his life forever: an egg of Wild goose He hatched a small chick from his eyes and his shell emerged. Lorenz greeted the little girl, who spoke her gaze and replied by issuing her first peep. Unaware of the importance of that moment, the ethologist then decided to entrust it to one adoptive mother of its own species, placing it with the other chicks under the warm belly of anadult goose. However, while leaving, it was unexpectedly recalled by Insistent Pigolii of the Pulcina, who had managed to escape and ran towards him, categorically refusing to be with his adoptive mother.
The subsequent attempts were useless: the geese did not want to know of separating from Lorenz, continuing to reject the forced bond imposed with the adult goose. From that moment, wherever he went – at home, in the garden and even in the bedroom – she followed him, claiming his attention with insistent pigolii. Thus, to facilitate coexistence, Lorenz built a basket to always carry it with him. Only then did he understand that the little Pulcina had chosen him as motherestablishing a link that would last for many years to come.
Do you remember something? This story is very similar to that narrated in the animated film The wild robotin which the small beccolustro chick identifies the humanoid Roz robot as mother, who had defended his egg until the time of hatching.
As Lorenz discovered the phenomenon of imprinting
Lorenz led numerous experiments to deepen the phenomenon of observed with Martina and discovered that what happened with the eyepiece was not an isolated event, but a replicable mechanism.
In those years, the author found himself at “adopt“Numerous chicks, with whom he used to walk or swim inside the pond of his villa, that followed In an Indian row just like in nature they usually do with mom!
In particular, Lorenz observed that, as in Martina’s case, the wild goose chicks tended to learn a identify as “mother” The first object three -dimensional on the move that saw immediately after birth. It did not necessarily have to be a specimen of the same species. In the case of Martina, in fact, the stimulus had been him, but Lorenz showed that the phenomenon could also occur with inanimate objectseven … a ball!
The crucial factor, however, was the time: this link was established only during one short time windowwhich corresponded a few hours after the hatch of the egg. Once established, it turned out lasting And irreversibledeeply influencing the future behavior of children. Precisely because of its incisive and indelible nature, Lorenz defined this phenomenon of early learning with the term imprinting (from German Prägung), which literally means “imprint“.
Because imprinting is so important for some species
Imprinting is a peculiar feature of animals with early developmentthat is, those who, at birth, are already able to move, see, hear and, in many cases, feed independently. However, this does not mean being completely independent. For these species, establishing a link with the maternal figure is crucial for the survivalsince losing the mother and companions means one certain death. The little ones, in fact, do not yet know the surrounding world and, alone, represent Easy prey.
That’s why imprinting represents a evolutionary strategy winner: in a natural context, the first figure that the little ones observe after hatching is usually the biological mother. The bond guaranteed by imprinting allows them to recognize it and form an indissoluble bond with the figure who will guarantee him nourishment, protection and from which he will learn vital skills, such as hunting or defense against predators.
