imprinting

[Bailey]

im·print·ing (mprntng)
n.
A rapid learning process by which a newborn or very young animal establishes a behavior pattern of recognition and attraction to another animal of its own kind or to a substitute or an object identified as the parent.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

mark mom-was-a-duck Bailey

Deep within a forest a little turtle began to climb a tree. After hours of effort he reached the top, jumped into the air waving his front legs and crashed to the ground. After recovering, he slowly climbed the tree again, jumped, and fell to the ground. The turtle tried again and again while a couple of birds sitting on a branch watched his sad efforts. Finally, the female bird turned to her mate. "Dear," she chirped, "I think it's time to tell him he's adopted."

[/quote]

[skinem]

Having spent much of my life on ranches and farms, imprinting can be kind of fun to see. It's amazing how their instinct gets tweaked a little like that.

At least Bailey's turtle wasn't a "post turtle"--a turtle you see on a fence post. You know it doesn't belong there, that it didn't get there without help, and that it has no idea what to do once it's there. Reminds me of some people I know...

[gailr]

A rapid learning process by which a ... very young animal establishes a behavior pattern of recognition and attraction to another animal of its own kind or to a substitute or an object..

My editing of that quote describes the imprinting process on young men decorating their dorm rooms with images from ... ah ... literary sources. As in the imprinting of newborns, the visual patterns so established do not necessarily match the real-world norms.

-gailr

(with apologies to skinem for taking liberties with his statement): "Having spent much of my life in both rural and urban settings, imprinting can be kind of fun to see. It's amazing how their instinct gets tweaked a little like that."