Evolution Of Penguins Essay

When we think of birds we usually tend to imagine them above our heads flying high in the sky. We tend to forget that some of them live in extremely cold environments and can actually swim deep underwater for sufficient amount of time. These strange birds are referred to as penguins. These birds tend to baffle us because of their similarities and different traits compared to their flying relatives. Exactly why and how did they began to develop differently from other birds? So what is the biggest difference between these birds and their relatives you may ask; well the answer is obvious, they are flightless. In response of their lack of flight, they have mastered the underwater airway. So when did this change occur? Penguins have been known to be flightless since the Jurassic era, to prove the theory, as fossil was found in the coast of New Zealand. Preserved over the ages in some limestone, the Palaccudyptes Antarcticus fossil was excavated and analyzed to further close the mysterious gap of the penguin. More fossils were also found, and helped piece together what we now know as the Waimanu penguin (translated in to Maori language meaning “water bird”). This showed us the difference between the …show more content…
There was a cluster of arteries and veins pressed up against the humorous, which in return helped them maintain a stable body heat and limit the loss through the flippers. Why is it that they evolved to maintain they’re body temperature? These creatures adapted to some of the harshest environments found of earth, which is