Male giraffes fight each other by 'necking'! They push their long necks against each other, bending and twisting them in order to win the fight by a show of strength. Many animals fight this way, including snakes, insects and crabs. Competing in this way allows animals to find out who's boss while protecting themselves from injury. The strongest wins and the loser just has to go away.
Investigating the Genetic Structure of a Boreal Owl Population
Population isolation and gene flow.
Boreal owls are found in subalpine (mountain) forests, and they can become isolated from other mountain top populations. This separation can be caused by large areas of unfavourable habitat, and can result in the populations having different genetic makeups. Researchers from the University of Wyoming, U.S.A., are at work determining the genetic makeup of these owl populations. This information will help the researchers understand the connections between the different groups of owls found in the mountains, and also the size of their territorial ranges. This information is critical in order to understand how to conserve at-risk boreal owl populations and will also help to prevent the extinction of owls from isolated sites occurring.
GF Research
