Oskar Heinroth

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Oskar Heinroth (1 March 1871 – 31 May 1945) was a German biologist who was one of the first to apply the methods of comparative morphology to animal behaviour, and was thus one of the founders of ethology. His extensive studies of behaviour in the Anatidae (ducks and geese) showed that instinctive behaviour patterns correlated with taxonomic relationships determined on the basis of morphological features. He also rediscovered the phenomenon of imprinting, reported in the 19th century by Douglas Spalding but not followed up at the time. His results were popularised by Konrad Lorenz, whose mentor he was. Lorenz regarded Heinroth as the true founder of the study of animal behaviour seen as a branch of zoology.

Heinroth was born in Mainz-Kastel. He began his studies of duck and goose behaviour while working as a scientific assistant from 1898 to 1913. He subsequently became the director of the Berlin Aquarium, a post he held for more than 30 years. He died in Berlin.

Bibliography

The Birds (with Katharina Heinroth). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1958. ISBN 0-472-05005-2

External links

Wildlife recordings made by Oskar Heinroth - streamed audio recordings from the British Library

Authority control	WorldCat VIAF: 64802132 LCCN: n85816783 ISNI: 0000 0001 0980 605X GND: 118709909

Persondata
Name	Heinroth, Oskar
Alternative names
Short description	German zoologist
Date of birth	1 March 1871
Place of birth
Date of death	31 May 1945
Place of death

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