Why do penguins have heavy bones

Penguins bend their knees and straighten them to get the power needed to move whether in water or sliding on ice and snow. While they are standing inland or swimming in the water, the natural position of the knees is tucked in close to the body. This is also why it looks like penguins have short legs as knees are not highly visible because they are tucked in close to their bodies all the time. From waddling on snow-covered shores to swimming deeper into the frigid waters, penguins make use of their knees to propel themselves on land and in water.

When it comes to snowy banks, penguins are also known to slide by using their knees as a means of propulsion. Male penguins also incubate and take care of the eggs laid by the female by balancing the egg on their toes and holding them close with their knees.

Penguins are also able to lower themselves on the egg by bending their knees and giving the egg the warmth it needs. If you have ever seen a penguin waddle on snow you might have asked yourself, do penguins have knees? Well, now you have the answer.

The other species have sizes and weights that lie between these two extremes, the emperor penguin and the little blue penguin. Penguins have a bone skeleton. Bones are very hard and thick, unlike other birds that have light skeletons to fly.

Since penguins do not fly, they do not need a light, but strong, robust and not filled with air skeleton to help them submerge quickly and to stiffen their fins so they can be moved through the water more efficiently.

The bones of their fins are shorter and flatter than in other birds, and many of these bones are fused. The elbow joint and the wrist are almost merged. The tarsometatarsus, a bone at the bottom of the legs, is the hardest and is highly enduring, even after the penguin dies. Its short length helps reduce friction when swimming, but it also provides support when the bird stays on land.

Their set of feathers, or plumage, forms a dense, durable and protective layer that isolates them from the cold air and icy water penguins usually inhabit, to prevent heat from escaping their body. Penguins are warm-blooded animals, so they need a lot of feathers to keep body heat.

When the ice declines, these penguins have trouble surviving, especially in winter. However, new information about juvenile nest fidelity reveals emperor penguins have a few tricks to help combat changing environments.

A study in found that juvenile emperor penguins switch to breed in different colonies than the ones they were born into at a higher rate than previously thought. Though this will not completely prevent the eventual loss of the species in the face of melting ice, it does allow genetic diversity , a key component of evolution, to spread throughout the entire emperor penguin species.

On the West Antarctic Peninsula, gentoo penguins which do not rely on the ice are better adapted to the warmer environment and their population numbers in Antarctica are currently on the rise. If climate change alters ocean currents , as many models predict, the nutrient rich waters that currently support penguin colonies around the world may not provide enough food.

Already, warming of the East Australian current off the coast of New Zealand is adversely affecting the little penguin. Across the globe, off the shores of Argentina, Magellanic penguins need to swim farther distances to find food , and chicks often drown as big storms with torrential downpours increase in frequency and strength.

Oil spills pose a major threat for penguins living near congested shipping routes. Oil-slicked penguins, even when cleaned by restoration efforts, have significantly decreased abilities to reproduce.

Roughly 10, penguins were either airlifted or transported via boat to cleaning facilities during the oil spill off of Dassen Island, South Africa. A year study found that oiled penguins had an 11 percent decrease in reproductive success when compared to non-fouled birds of the same cohort. Another 26 percent became incapable of breeding.

Off Argentina, oil tankers once filled their empty oil tanks with seawater to help balance the ship when they were free of oil. Once in port the water was emptied into the ocean to make room for the petroleum, rinsing large amounts of oil along with it. It is estimated that 42, Magellanic penguins died annually in the s from oily water. Changes in tanker routes to move them further offshore and a decrease in illegal wastewater dumping in have reduced penguin mortality rates.

Failures of the past also seem to be suggesting new ways of combatting the threats of oil spills when they occur. One of the most successful strategies was to round up 19, penguins in the path of the oil spill at Dassen Island and transport them roughly miles away from home and the oil. The volunteer effort allowed the beaches to be cleaned while the rescued penguins made their way back home. These small successes are important considering the current population of African penguins is below ,, a startling number considering the 1.

Penguins rely on krill, anchovy, and sardines to survive but human fishing of these food web pillars has significantly impacted penguin population sizes. Cape Town fishing of anchovies and sardines contributed to a 69 percent reduction in the African penguin population between and The sardine and anchovy fisheries, when combined, are the largest in South Africa, by volume and the second largest by revenue. A small sliver of hope comes in the form of no take zones, which in one case, off Robben Island, showed an 18 percent increase in African penguin chicks following a three-year fishing hiatus.

As krill fishing in the Southern Ocean increases due to the demand for Omega-3 oil used in supplements, scientists worry the removal could impact the higher trophic levels that include penguins, seals, and whales. The South Georgia Islands transformation offers another beacon of hope. Once a whaling community that decimated whale, seal and penguin populations, the island is now a haven for marine animals.

The king penguin colony, once pairs in has since rebounded to 60, pairs. The fishing regulations of the early s ceased illegal fishing in the region and created sustainable krill and Patagonian toothfish also known commercially as the Chilean Seabass fisheries. Penguin populations are still on the rebound after the 19th century harvesting of eggs and guano , the poop of Humboldt penguins that was a valued fertilizer for farmers.

Today guano harvesting is regulated in Peru, including various marine protected areas along the coast that protect marine birds. In areas where penguins live close to humans, like the tip of South America, illegal egg poaching still occurs. Penguins thrived as flightless birds, in part because in the Southern Hemisphere there are few terrestrial predators like the foxes and badgers of the Northern Hemisphere.

Human introduced animals, like dogs, cats and foxes are problems since the animals often eat penguin eggs, harass breeding pairs, or outright kill penguins. In Australia the government supports strict enforcement when it comes to pets and penguins. In July a Tasmanian dog owner was prosecuted when his dog killed 18 penguins , and the National Wildlife and Parks Staff employ marksmen and other penguin protectors in areas where little penguins are frequently killed by the predators.

The presence of the dogs has brought the once doomed population of four penguins to , a step towards restoring the population to its original In the Falkland Islands an unorthodox scenario protects many penguin colonies. A British territory, claimed because of its commercial worth during the s whaling boom, the islands became the center of a disagreement between Great Britain and Argentina who claimed the islands their own.

In the two countries went to war over the islands, and Argentina laid mines along their coasts. There are estimated to be roughly 20, landmines that remain along the coast, but the British deemed a removal endeavor too costly. The penguins that live on the islands are too light to set off the mines and the blocked off areas now serve as effective habitat conservation where the birds can breed undisturbed.

Studying penguins that like to live in isolated areas and swim to great depths poses a problem for land-based scientists. This is why much of what we know about penguins comes from our observations on land where penguins breed. Fortunately, new technology is enabling researchers to have eyes where they cannot follow the flippered birds.

Satellite tags and data loggers have been able to shed light on where penguins swim to in the winter. Scientists place small, battery-powered computers on the backs of penguins using waterproof tape or glue.

One technology that is significantly expanding our understanding of penguin behavior at sea is satellite and GPS tagging. Tags are attached to the back of the penguin and can record or transmit data as the penguin moves around on land and through water. Some tags can record temperature, depth and salinity measurements, relaying the information and location back to satellites that then relay the information to the scientist when the penguin surfaces. Other tags can log water temperature, body temperature, light levels, dive depth, date and time every few seconds over several years.

The drawback is that penguins must be recaptured for the data to be downloaded, a tricky endeavor considering penguins travel long distances and can become prey to other animals. Scientists have even discovered how to assess penguin populations without ever stepping on the Antarctic continent. The University of Minnesota Polar Geospatial Center uses high-resolution satellite imagery to scan the white Antarctic continent for a tell-tale sign of a penguin colony—their guano, or poop.

Scientists can then count the number of penguins in the colony and even find new colonies unfound by manned expeditions on the ground. It was through satellite imagery that scientists discovered a massive "supercolony" of over 1,, Adelie penguins , the largest colony of penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula.

Other studies have also used a birds eye approach, but instead of satellites use unmanned aerial systems UAS , also known as drones. As time moves forward comparisons of aerial and satellite images can monitor changes in the population sizes and distributions. Some scientists are using cameras and the power of citizen science to answer questions about the distribution of penguin species and their behavior.

After a quick tutorial, visitors to penguinwatch. The endearing and charismatic portrayal of penguins permeates through mainstream media—in books, movies, comic strips and video games.

Even the very first explorers of the Southern Ocean identified with the birds, attributing human-like qualities to those they encountered. The first description of penguins to a mass, general audience appeared in a Pall Mall Magazine article , written in by W.

Fast-forward to the twenty-first century, and we are still drawn in by their uncanny similarity to humans. The film March of the Penguins won an Oscar in for best documentary, and simultaneously the hearts of people around the world. In one of the first, popular, silent films called Home of the Blizzard , depicted penguins from the Antarctic as comedic entertainers.

The penguins are supreme comedians. People often commented on the similarity between the iconic waddle of Charlie Chaplin and the waddle of the penguin, though Chaplin denied penguins were his influence. The classic novel Mr. But perhaps the most famous dancing penguins are the stars of the animated film Happy Feet and Happy Feet Two.

The blockbuster tells the story of Mumble, a young emperor penguin who is unable to communicate through song like all the other penguins but is a talented dancer instead. The filming process included an actor, dancer, and voice for each penguin character. Actors and dancers dressed in all black outfits with special motion reflectors that cued special cameras that digitized the movement. A penguin expert, Dr. Gary Miller , acted as a movement coach and advised the actors on how to move and behave like a penguin.

Not all penguin characters are amiable and cute. The Penguin makes appearances in the s Batman TV series and later, in the movie Batman Returns, Danny DeVito takes over the role and spins the character to be slightly darker and more sinister. In other stories, penguins fulfill more of a detective role. In the Doctor Who comic series a shape shifting character named Frobisher elects to assist the sixth and seventh doctors, abandoning his previous career as a private detective and assuming the shape of a penguin.

The penguins in the popular Madagascar movies that came out in the s were also slightly devious in their adventures. The s cartoon Chilly Willy follows the troubles of a penguin residing in Alaska a misrepresentation considering penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere as he attempts to keep warm in the snowy cold. It became fairly successful and was the second most popular cartoon produced by Universal Studios after Woody the Woodpecker.

In the s and s, penguins became the stars of zoos around the world. Their popularity and iconic image prompted many companies to use their image in logos. Penguin books released their logo in , and it remains one of the most recognizable logos to this day penguin or otherwise. Cerullo and Beth Simmons, illustrated by Kirsten Carlson ages Skip to main content.

Penguins order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae. Flickr User Gregory "Slobirdr" Smith. Macaroni penguins preen on rocks. Flickr User Pablo Fernicola.

Close up of a yellow-eyed penguin. Richard Giddens. The largest of the penguins, the emperor, stands at just over four feet while the smallest, the little penguin, has a maximum height of a foot. Smithsonian Institution. Flickr User Liam Quinn. Every breeding season, some , Magellanic penguins come to Punta Tombo, Argentina to nest on the shore. Gustavo Almada, Flickr. Gentoo penguin mother with her chick in Antarctica.

Brian Skerry, National Geographic. The penguins capture their prey, typically lanternfish, by diving at speeds of 12 miles per hour. An illustration of two extinct great auks. The great auk was the first bird to be called a penguin, but the bird is in no way related to modern penguins, instead claiming membership in the Alcidae family, same as puffins, other auks, and murres. John Gerrard Keulemans. The portion of legs outside their main bodies is covered with thick feathers to lower heat loss.

Their feet can survive in extreme cold without getting frostbites. Penguins have extremely streamlined bodies designed for expert diving. Even their limbs and tails are aligned to reduce water drag.

Since large bodies experience more water resistance, therefore:. Long external legs would have increased water friction for penguins, thereby causing difficulty in swimming.

Penguins are dependent on their swimming ability for food. As a result, penguins have wings adapted into flaps, and tails as rudders. Another thing is penguin feet are shaped into swim fins to enhance their swimming ability. In Antarctica, land-based predators are almost non-existent. While Skuas and Petrels do hunt baby penguins, they cannot eat adult ones. However, the short portion of legs outside their bodies enables penguins to walk through waddling.

Besides, penguins can cover long distances by sliding on their bellies. This kind of movement is called Tobogganing. Because for penguins, waddling is a more efficient way of walking.

So, instead of lifting its entire weight, a penguin walks by rotation. It does the same with its other foot, thereby taking a step further. This is exactly how a pregnant woman gets to walk. Apparently , this reduces heat loss as penguins reduce exposure to icy crust beneath their feet. Penguins warm their babies by holding them above their feet.

And so, penguin toes play a crucial role in incubating eggs as well as keeping the penguins alive in Antarctica. Now, penguins use their feet to navigate through water, hold their babies, walk and even stand on the ice. Penguin wings are designed into flippers exclusively for swimming and diving. The bones within these flipper-like wings are broad, flattened, and sturdy.

The joints are fused together to reduce damage by water pressure while swimming. For this reason, even the penguin wrist bones are fused into radius and ulna bones.