Imprinting in ducklings: variability among individuals and responses.

Duck embryos show a highly variable heart rate, which remains variable, though to a lesser degree, upon hatching. After hatching, behavioral responses of ducklings in an imprinting paradigm are also variable both between ducklings, and between particular responses (behavioral inter se and behavioral vs physiological). Nonetheless, responses, when viewed multi-dimensionally, do appear to cluster, suggesting that there exist a variety of discrete developmental 'types', even among an inbred strain of ducklings.

Duke Scholars

Author Peter H. Klopfer Biology