Penguin Adaptation Essay

564 Words3 Pages
Penguin Adaptation Animal adaption is very important in our current-day world. Without adaption animals would go extinct from climate, and food chain changes. If penguins could not adapt to changes they would be long extinct. The definition of adaptation is as follows; any alteration in the structure or function of an organism or any of its parts that results from natural selection and by which the organism becomes better fitted to survive and multiply in its environment. Structural penguin adaptations include that they are white on the front and black on the back. In water, the only place they are really at risk from predators, this gives them camouflage. From below they are white and cannot be easily seen against the lighter surface of the sea. From above they blend in with the darker depths. Penguin feathers are extremely densely packed, with no gaps between them. This gives them good protection against the cold. Each feather has an extra part behind it, so that they can fluff their feathers up. This keeps them warm in the cold and allows them to cool off when the weather is warmer. They don’t have all the extra airspaces in their bones that normal birds have. This helps them sink in the water. They have a layer of blubber beneath their skin. This helps them keep warm. They can control the flow of blood through the fat. When it is very cold almost no blood passes through the fat. When they are warm, the blood flow increases so they can cool off. The hand bones are fused together. This is because water is thicker than air, and in water the flexible arrangement of flying birds would not make the wings strong enough to pull them through water. Emperor and King Penguins have a special flap of skin on their feet. They do not build nests from twigs and leaves. They only lay one egg, and keep it on their feet, under the flap of skin so it can’t roll off. The
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