Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe facts for kids
Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe was a scientist from Norway. He was born in Kristiania (now Oslo) on November 12, 1894. He passed away in Oslo on June 8, 1976. He studied animals and their behavior. Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe is famous for being the first person to explain the "pecking order" in chickens.
Discovering the Pecking Order
Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe made an important discovery when he was just 19 years old. This was in 1913. He was watching chickens on a farm during his summer holidays. He noticed something interesting about how they behaved.
He saw that chickens, especially hens, had a special social order. This order decided which hen could peck another without getting pecked back. He called this the "pecking order." It's like a social ladder for chickens!
Schjelderup-Ebbe realized that this order was not always about how strong or old a hen was. Sometimes, he even saw "pecking triangles." This means Hen A could peck Hen B, and Hen B could peck Hen C, but Hen C could peck Hen A. It was a complex system!
His studies showed that birds have a clear way of deciding who is in charge. This idea of a "dominance hierarchy" is now used to understand many animal groups.
His Early Life and Studies
Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe's parents were both artists. His father, Axel Emil Ebbe, and his mother, Menga Schjelderup, were sculptors.
He continued his studies and worked towards a special degree called a Ph.D. in Germany. He wanted to present his research in Oslo, but it was not accepted at that time. Even so, his ideas about the pecking order became very well known.
Family Life
Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe was married to Torbjørg Brekke. They had a son named Dag Schjelderup-Ebbe. Dag grew up to be a talented person too. He became a musicologist, which means he studied music. He was also a composer, writing his own music, and a music critic.
