Acknowledgements

This work was carried out at the Department of Biology, Divisions of Zoology and Genetics, at the University of Oulu. Because my research included both an ecophysiological and a genetic perspective, I needed guidance from experts of each of these fields. First, I thank Professor Raimo Hissa, who gave me the chance to study the fascinating and wonderful grey partridges and capercaillies, and for his supervision during my work. Secondly, I thank Professor Markku Orell for the opportunity to work with his group, and for his supervision during writing this thesis. Thirdly, I thank docent Jaakko Lumme, who handed me the grey partridge mtDNA study. Finally, Professor Kari Koivula showed exellent patience with me, and my statistics, for what I owe him many thanks. I thank Esa Hohtola, Laura Kvist, Minna Käkelä, Kyösti Marjoniemi, Maria Meinilä, Ahti Putaala, Ahti Pyörnilä, Minna Ruokonen, Seppo Saarela, Hannele Säkkinen, and Leena Uimaniemi for giving me numerous valuable advice along the road, and for making my working days pleasant.

The staff at the department is warmly acknowledged for providing excellent research facilities. I warmly thank Annikki Tervonen, who taught me many useful things about rearing birds in captivity, and also Marja-Liisa Martimo, Hannele Parkkinen and Soile Finne, for their assistance in the laboratory. Without the Zoological Gardens at the University of Oulu this work would have been impossible to carry out in practice. I am grateful to the staff and especially to Jari Ylönen for their willingness to help whenever I asked. The facilities to hand-rear birds for scientific purposes were excellent. Marja-Liisa Mielikäinen, Ritva Paaso and Sisko Veijola helped me through the jungle of forms many many times!

I thank graduate students Airi Kentala, Päivi Peltokangas and Risto Saartoala, as well as my other co-authors Professor Hannu Raunio (Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Kuopio) and Professor Olavi Pelkonen (Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Oulu) for their efforts on separate papers.

I highly appreciate the comments of Dr. Richard Potts (Game Conservancy Trust, UK) and Professor Ralph Gutiérrez (University of Montana, USA) regarding this thesis. I’m glad I was forced to rethink some things! I also thank Professor Gutiérrez and Dr. Benno Meyer-Rochow for a precise revision of the language.

The ecophysiological part of this work belonged to a wider project, which was financed by the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Academy of Finland, and the Thule Institute at the University of Oulu. The mitochondrial DNA work was financed by Alfred Kordelin Foundation, Emil Aaltonen Foundation, University of Oulu (Oulun yliopiston tukisäätiö), the Thule Institute at the University of Oulu, Finnish Cultural Foundation, South Ostrobothnian Fund of the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the University Pharmacy Fund.

I am lucky and proud to have good girlfriends Päivi Ollinmäki, Katrin Rapakko, Tiina Mäkinen, Mia Salonen, Jaana Sillman and Erja Taulavuori, both in and outside the university. The united “9 o’clock -coffee group”, with both permanent and variable members, kept up the spirits! Each and every one of you earns my warmest thanks. I also want to thank my four-hoofed friends, who every now and then gave me something else to think about!

Finally, I warmly thank my mother Soile, my brother Aki and his family, and my late grandma Anni for their support and encouragement throughout my studying years. I thank my husband Ilkka for numerous interesting discussions over the grey partridge and his highly skilled help with the figures of this thesis. My beloved children Iiro, Veera and Eero kept my feet on the ground and showed me the most important meaning of life.

Oulu, May 2001                                                                 Tuija Liukkonen-Anttila