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Social context modulates digestive efficiency in greylag geese

07.11.2018

In group-living animals, social context is known to modulate physiology, behaviour and reproductive output as well as foraging and nutritional strategies. In a current study, scientists from the KLF in Grünau and from the university of Udine investigate the digestive efficiency of 38 individuals.

It turned out that the digestive efficiency was higher in pairs with offspring as compared to pairs without offspring or unpaired birds. Furthermore, individuals with high ADOM (apparent digestibility of organic matter) were more likely to breed successfully in the following season than those with low ADOM.

Publication in "Scientific Reports":

Frigerio, D., Kotrschal, K., Fabro, C., Puehringer-Sturmayr, V., Iaiza, L., Hemetsberger, J., Mason, F., Sarnataro, C., Filacorda, S. Social context modulates digestive efficiency in greylag geese (Anser anser). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34337-3 

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(c) N. Bender