Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • Konrad Zacharias Lorenz: An Austrian zoologist, ethologist, and ornithologist. He is a foundational figure in the study of animal behavior, particularly known for his work on instinctual patterns, imprinting, and for emphasizing the importance of innate (inherited) behaviors over learned ones. He was a corecipient of the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The research of Konrad Zacharias Lorenz on greylag geese provided key insights into the phenomenon of imprinting.
  • In his books, Konrad Zacharias Lorenz described animal behavior with both scientific rigor and vivid narrative.
  • The theories of Konrad Zacharias Lorenz were instrumental in the development of modern ethology.

Advanced Usage

• The name is often used metonymically to represent the school of thought in ethology that focuses on fixed action patterns and innate releasing mechanisms.
  • Her approach to behavioral study is very much in the tradition of Konrad Zacharias Lorenz.

Variants and Related Words

• Lorenzian (adj): Pertaining to the theories or work of Konrad Lorenz.
  • The experiment followed a Lorenzian methodology.

Synonyms

• Ethologist: A scientist who studies animal behavior under natural conditions.
• Zoologist: A scientist who studies the biology of animals.

Related Phrases

• Lorenz's hydraulic model: A now largely metaphorical model proposed by Lorenz to describe the build-up and release of instinctual energy.
• Fixed action pattern: A key concept in Lorenz's work, describing an instinctive behavioral sequence that is indivisible and runs to completion.

Noun

1. Austrian zoologist who studied the behavior of birds and emphasized the importance of innate as opposed to learned behaviors (1903-1989)