tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post3211769461736394626..comments2024-03-27T14:50:47.345-04:00Comments on <center>Sandwalk</center>: Daisy, the Canada GooseLarry Moranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05756598746605455848noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-44802288563966165152007-03-26T11:51:00.000-04:002007-03-26T11:51:00.000-04:00Is this a trick question? ;-) I'll bite: the situ...Is this a trick question? ;-) I'll bite: the situation coopts psychological mechanisms which, in the wild state, have adaptive value and arose through evolution.<BR/><BR/>The goose: imprinted on the human, in accord with the usual goose juvenile-dependency mechanism (note to Matt: it's not that any mother is better than none, it's just that normally it is overwhelmingly probable that the first figure a hatchling would see would be its own mother. So the imprinting mechanism doesn't need to be all that smart about species-discrimination). Now as to why Daisy hasn't outgrown her imprinting, I would guess that, not being raised among geese, she has not received social cues that would cause her to mature psychologically.<BR/><BR/>The dog: likewise, a juvenile dependency on the human (enhanced by centuries of selective breeding of dogs for retention of juvenile characteristics).<BR/><BR/>Both geese and dogs are moderately social species, and naively accept each other as members of their "flock"/"pack", while accepting the human as the group alpha.<BR/><BR/>Now, why does the human keep these pets? That's complex, though I would guess pet-keeping is partially an outgrowth of the parental instinct -- we just enjoy small, warm and loyal critters.Eamon Knighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04262012749524758120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-70782292497437077182007-03-24T18:14:00.000-04:002007-03-24T18:14:00.000-04:00I think this is the evolutionary story:Evolution p...I think this is the evolutionary story:<BR/><BR/>Evolution produced humans<BR/><BR/>A combination of natural and artificial selection produced domesticated dogs lacking many of their predecessor's wild instincts (thus no goose-eating)<BR/><BR/>Evolution favored Canada Geese that imprinted regardless of species...who knows maybe it's better to have a mother of the wrong species than no mother at all<BR/><BR/>...and voila, a human, a dog and a goose all in one boat!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08401191324401170604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-48351611459515579272007-03-24T15:08:00.000-04:002007-03-24T15:08:00.000-04:00ornithological pedantry: the official common name ...ornithological pedantry: the official common name is Canada Goose (though Daisy may well be a Canadian Canada Goose).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com