David Frank McKinney

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David Frank McKinney , often just Frank McKinney (born October 23, 1928 in Ballymena , † June 12, 2001 in Saint Paul , Minnesota ) was a Northern Irish ornithologist and behaviorist.

Live and act

In 1949 McKinney received his bachelor's degree in zoology from Oxford University . This was followed by his Ph.D. in 1953. at the University of Bristol , before working as a post-doctoral student with the later Nobel Prize winner Nikolaas Tinbergen at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge . His dissertation was entitled Studies on the behavior of the Anatidae (Eng. "Studies on the behavior of duck birds ").

In 1953 he moved to Manitoba to the Delta Waterfowl Research Center , the waterfowl study. He worked here as assistant director for ten years before moving to the James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History in Minneapolis in 1963 . He assumed the position of curator of ethology and became a professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavioral Science at the University of Minnesota . He held both positions until his retirement in 2000. McKinney was a leading expert on the social behavior of swimming ducks . He has published more than 80 research papers and has participated in dozens of symposia and workshops on topics ranging from wildlife management to sperm competition to the behavioral adjustment of waterfowl in the southern hemisphere . He was a permanent fixture at the American Ornithologists' Union , the Animal Behavior Society , international ethological and ornithological conferences. Many of his comparative and experimental studies were conducted in specially designed and built flight enclosures in the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve . Nonetheless, he also conducted field research with wild ducks in Canada , South Africa , Australia , New Zealand, and the Bahamas . He examined and identified many of the main factors of selection pressure that influence the behavioral patterns of swimming ducks, particularly their remarkable diversity in territorial behavior, their promiscuity and parental brood care patterns.

His research period can be divided into two research careers. If he was trained as a classical comparative ethologist at the beginning, his second focus was meticulous observation and its objective description. For behavioral research, he learned in numerous expeditions to quietly observe research objects for hours. Between the 1950s and 1960s, his focus was mainly on the macroevolutionary aspects of social signals and other behavioral patterns in ducks. But in the late 1960s interest in this branch of research faded and so he turned around. The book Sexual Selection and the Descent of Man: The Darwinian Pivot by Bernard Grant Campbel (1930-) gave McKinney new impetus. The concept of gender conflict raised his doubts about the old theory of couple bonding . When Robert Ludlow Trivers (1943-) came up with the thesis that two different sexes should almost be viewed as different species , courtship behavior turned into a process of mutual observation and simultaneous additional interest in other partners willing to mate. Ducks were particularly puzzling in this area. McKinney already had numerous precise notes on this behavior from his earlier observations. This information made important contributions to how real animals fitted into these emerging theories. Suddenly he realized that the three bird hunting behavior , which he previously interpreted as a mainly territorial phenomenon, almost always consisted of two males quickly chasing a female. He interpreted this behavior as an attempt to ingest an already paired female and the defensive behavior of the partner. So he shifted his interest to behavioral functions and began 20 years of research with the help of the National Science Foundation , dealing with sperm competition , partner switching and other related topics.

His most important publications include Behavioral Specializations for River Life in the African Black Duck (Anas sparsa Eyton) from 1978, Rape Among Mallards from 1979, Forced Copulation in Captive Mallards I. Fertilization of Eggs from 1980, Forced copulation in captive mallards (Anas platyrhynchos): II. Temporal factors from 1982 and Forced Copulation in Captive Mallards III. 1983 Sperm Competition . As a lecturer at the University of Minnesota, he lectured on 48 different academic subjects. As a professor he accompanied more than 30 students on their way to the Master of Science and finally to the Ph.D. As part of the doctoral committee, he supported more than 150 doctorates. He supervised animal behavior projects for almost 50 students. This support ranged from fish to lizards to primates .

When McKinney retired, he picked up a book on duck social behavior, but it never appeared. At Christmas of the same year he suffered a heart attack . After he had just recovered, he and his wife wanted to move to make life easier. While packing, he suffered a second heart attack from which he eventually died. McKinney was survived by his wife Meryl, to whom he was married for 38 years, and his mother Nin.

Memberships and honors

McKinney became a member of the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) in 1955 , was recognized as an elected member in 1960 and a fellow in 1975. In 1994 he was awarded the William Brewster Medal for his numerous contributions to the study of waterfowl social behavior . He was also a Fellow of the Animal Behavior Society (ABS) and a member of the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU).

Works (selection)

  • An Observation on Redhead Parasitism . In: The Wilson Bulletin . tape 66 , no. 2 , 1954, p. 146–148 (English, online [PDF; 231 kB ; accessed on December 31, 2015]).
  • An Analysis of the Displays of the European Eider somateria mollissima mollissima (linnaeus) and the Pacific Eider somateria mollissima v. nigra bonaparte . In: Behavior . Supplement No. 7, 1961, pp. III, V-VII, 1-125 , JSTOR : 30039137 .
  • The Spring Behavior and Wild Steller Eiders . In: The Condor . tape 67 , no. 4 , 1965, pp. 273–290 (English, online [PDF; 1000 kB ; accessed on December 31, 2015]).
  • Spacing and chasing in breeding ducks . In: The Wildfowl Trust . tape 16 , 1965, pp. 92–106 (English, online [PDF; 795 kB ; accessed on December 31, 2015]).
  • The Displays of the American Green-Winged Teal . In: The Wilson Bulletin . tape 77 , no. 2 , 1965, p. 112–121 (English, online [PDF; 557 kB ; accessed on December 31, 2015]).
  • Displays of four species of Blue-winged Ducks . In: Living Bird . tape 9 , 1970, ISSN  0459-6137 , pp. 29-64 .
  • in Donald Sankey Farner: Ecoethologigical aspects of reproduction in Breeding biology of birds: proceedings . National Academy of Sciences, Washington 1973, ISBN 0-309-02109-X , pp. 6-21 .
  • in Gerard Baerends, Colin Beer, Aubrey Manning: The Evolution of duck displays in Function and Evolution in Behavior: Essays in Honor of Professor Niko Tinbergen . Oxford University Press, Oxford 1976, ISBN 0-19-857382-0 , pp. 331-357 .
  • in Jay Seth Rosenblatt, Robert Aubrey Hinde, Colin Beer, Marie-Claire Busnel: Comparative Approaches to Social Behavior in Closely Related Species of Birds in Advances in the Study of Behavior . tape 8 . Academic Press, New York 1978, ISBN 0-12-004508-7 , pp. 1-38 , doi : 10.1016 / S0065-3454 (08) 60130-8 .
  • with Walter Roy Siegfried, Irvin Joseph Ball, Jr., Peter Graham Hyde Frost: Behavioral Specializations for River Life in the African Black Duck (Anas sparsa Eyton) . In: Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie . tape 48 , no. 4 , 1978, p. 349-400 , doi : 10.1111 / j.1439-0310.1978.tb00266.x .
  • with Julie Barrett, Scott Richard Derrickson: Rape Among Mallards . In: Science . tape 201 , no. 4352 , 1979, pp. 281–282 , doi : 10.1126 / science.201.4352.281 .
  • with Walter Roy Siegfried, Irvin Joseph Ball, Jr., Peter Graham Hyde Frost: Sex ratios, morphology and growth of the African Black Duck Anas sparsa . In: The Oistrich . tape 50 , no. 4 , 1979, p. 220-239 , doi : 10.1080 / 00306525.1979.9634117 .
  • with Kimberly Ming Tak Cheng, Jeffrey Thomas Burns: Forced Copulation in Captive Mallards I. Fertilization of Eggs . In: The Auk . tape 97 , no. 4 , 1980, p. 875–879 (English, online [PDF; 312 kB ; accessed on December 31, 2015]).
  • with Kimberly Ming Tak Cheng, Jeffrey Thomas Burns: Forced copulation in captive mallards (Anas platyrhynchos): II. Temporal factors . In: Animal Behavior . tape 30 , no. 2 , 1982, p. 695–699 (English, online [PDF; 397 kB ; accessed on December 31, 2015]).
  • with Scott Richard Derrickson, Pierre Mineau: Forced Copulation in Waterfowl . In: Behavior . tape 86 , no. 3/4 , 1983, p. 250-294 , JSTOR : 4534287 .
  • with Kimberly Ming Tak Cheng, Jeffrey Thomas Burns: Forced Copulation in Captive Mallards III. Sperm Competition . In: The Auk . tape 100 , no. 2 , 1983, p. 302–310 (English, online [PDF; 654 kB ; accessed on December 31, 2015]).
  • with Kimberly Ming Tak Cheng, David John Bruggers in Robert Lincoln Smith: Sperm Competition in Apparently Monogamous Birds in Sperm Competition and the Evolution of Avian Mating Systems . Academic Press Inc., Olando, Florida / London 1984, ISBN 0-12-412398-8 , pp. 523-545 ( limited preview in Google Book Search).
  • in Daniel Irwing Rubenstein, Richard Walter Wrangham: Ecological Factors Influencing the Social Systems of Migratory Dabbling Ducks in Ecological Aspects of Social Evolution: Birds and Mammals . Princeton University Press, Princeton 1984, ISBN 0-691-08440-8 , pp. 53-171 .
  • in Patricia Adair Gowaty, Douglas Wayne Mock: Primary and Secondary Male Reproductive Strategies of Dabbling Ducks in Avian Monogamy . In: Ornithological Monographs . No. 37 , 1985, pp. 68–82 (English, online [PDF; 1.9 MB ; accessed on December 31, 2015]).
  • with Gwen Brewer: Parental Attendance and Brood Care in Four Argentine Dabbling Ducks . In: The Condor . tape 91 , no. 1 , 1989, pp. 131–138 (English, online [PDF; 694 kB ; accessed on December 31, 2015]).
  • with Lisa Guminski Sorenson, Mark Hart: Multiple Functions of Courtship Displays in Dabbling Ducks (Anatini) . In: The Auk . tape 107 , no. 2 , 1990, p. 188–191 (English, online [PDF; 369 kB ; accessed on December 31, 2015]).
  • in Ben Dean Bell: Male parental care in Southern Hemisphere dabbling ducks in Acta XX Congressus Internationalis Ornithologici: Christchurch, New Zealand, 2-9 December 1990 . Ornithological Congress Trust Board, Wellington 1991, ISBN 0-9597975-3-X , pp. 868-875 .
  • in Bruce Duncan John Batt, Alan Daynne Afton, Michael George Anderson, Claude Davison Ankney, Douglas Hamilton Johnson, John Adolph Kadlec, Gary Lee Krapu: Courtship, pair formation, and signal systems in Ecology and management of breeding waterfowl in Ecology and Management of Breeding waterfowl . University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, London 1992, ISBN 0-8166-6832-9 , pp. 214-250 .
  • in Patricia Gail Parker, Nancy Tyler Burley with Susan Evarts: Sexual Coercion in Waterfowl and Other Birds in Avian Reproductive Tactics: Female and Male Perspectives . In: Ornithological Monographs . No. 49 , 1998, pp. 183–195 , doi : 10.2307 / 40166723 (English, online [PDF; 3.0 MB ; accessed on December 31, 2015]).

literature

  • Douglas Wayne Mock: In memoriam: Frank McKinney, 1928-2001 . In: The Auk . tape 119 , no. 2 , 2002, p. 507–509 (English, online [PDF; 394 kB ; accessed on December 31, 2015]).
  • Harrison Bruce Tordoff: Obituary Frank McKinney 1928-2001 . In: The Loon . tape 73 , no. 2 , 2001, p. 71 (English, online [accessed December 31, 2015]).
  • Gary Dean Schnell: William Brewster Memorial Award, 1994: Frank McKinney . In: The Auk . tape 112 , no. 1 , 1995, p. 265–266 (English, online [PDF; 166 kB ; accessed on December 31, 2015]).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Douglas Wayne Mock, p. 507.
  2. ^ Entry in the library of the University of Bristol
  3. ^ A b Harrison Bruce Tordoff, p. 71.
  4. ↑ a b c d Douglas Wayne Mock, p. 509.
  5. ^ Gary Dean Schnell, p. 265ff.
personal data
SURNAME McKinney, David Frank
ALTERNATIVE NAMES McKinney, D. Frank; McKinney, Frank
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Northern Irish ornithologist
DATE OF BIRTH October 23, 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH Ballymena
DATE OF DEATH June 12, 2001
Place of death Saint Paul , Minnesota