In the context of animal behaviour, this is a quick and irreversible type of learning in which patterns are imprinted on the animal’s mind during the ?rst few hours of life. The smell and feel of its mother are one such imprint.
n. 1. (in animal behaviour) a rapid and irreversible form of learning that takes place in some animals during the first hours of life. Animals attach themselves in this way to members of their own species, but if they are exposed to creatures of a different species during this short period, they become attached to this species instead. 2. (in genetics) a phenomenon whereby gene expression depends on whether the chromosome is maternal or paternal in origin. For example, both *Prader-Willi syndrome and *Angelman syndrome are caused by a *deletion of the same part of chromosome 15. When the deletion involves the chromosome 15 that came from the father, the child has Prader-Willi syndrome; inheritance of the same deletion from the mother results in Angelman syndrome.
a neurogenetic disorder characterized by severe developmental delay, absence of speech, seizures, a jerky puppet-like gait (see ataxia), and paroxysmal laughter (giving it the alternative name happy puppet syndrome). Affected children commonly have cranial and facial abnormalities, such as a small or flattened head. Angelman syndrome is a prototype of genomic *imprinting: a deletion on maternal chromosome 15 is the cause in a majority of cases. [H. Angelman (1915–96), British paediatrician]... angelman syndrome
(Prader–Willi–Labhart syndrome) a congenital condition that is inherited as an autosomal *dominant trait and is due to an abnormality of chromosome 15 (see imprinting). It is marked by pathological overeating and resulting obesity (affected children often subsequently develop type 2 diabetes), lethargy, short stature, a characteristic facial expression, learning disabilities, and underactivity of the testes or ovaries (*hypogonadism) due to lack of pituitary gonadotrophins. It is a cause of delayed puberty. [A. Prader, H. Willi, and A. Labhart (20th century), Swiss paediatricians]... prader–willi syndrome
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