Emperor Penguins

Without a doubt, Emperor penguins are the iconic species of the Antarctic continent. As
Antarctica is one of the harshest environments in the world, one must wonder how Emperor
penguins thrive in such frigid conditions. Natural selection is the process in which adaptations of
an organism that are favorable to environmental conditions (pressures) will be most likely to be
passed on. Thanks to natural selection, Emperor penguins rely on morphological, behavioural,
and physiological adaptations in order to survive in their environment, possessing a variety of
unique, specialized traits. In addition, the mating/parenting behaviors of the penguins are also
quite interesting. As a result, the adaptations of Emperor penguins allow them to successfully
endure the brutal conditions of Antarctica.
Morphological adaptations are traits that directly involve the physical structures of the
body, and Emperor penguins have numerous morphological features that give them a definite
edge in residing in Antarctica. The most hostile aspect of Antarctica is the freezing cold. To
counter this, the large size of the Emperor penguin allows it to retain more heat in the dreadful
Antarctic winters. The Emperor penguin also has thick skin, with layers of blubber up to 3 cm
thick as insulation. Its feathers play a role in keeping the penguin warm. Dark feathers on the
Emperor penguin's back absorb sunlight for more heat, and its tightly packed feathers overlap to
provide even more protection from the cold. Besides that, the Emperor penguin also has
adaptations that enable it to thrive in an aquatic environment, as fish is a major part of the
penguin's diet. To glide smoothly through water, the Emperor penguin possesses webbed feet, a
streamlined body form, and wings shaped like flippers. In fact, they can traverse the Antarctic
waters at up to 15 metres per hour. Tightly packed, oily feathers also provide waterproofing for
the penguin, while heavy, solid bones allow the penguin to stay underwater and not float to the
surface, fulfilling the same function as a diver's weight belt. In addition, the solid bones prevent
any barotrauma (injuries caused by a change in internal air pressure) from occurring to the
penguin and hampering its ability to glide. These aquatic adaptations allow the penguin to swiftly
pursue fish and also evade any predators lurking underneath the ice, like orcas. The Emperor
penguin also has powerful claws on its feet, giving it a firm grip on snow, ice, or rock when
emerging from the ocean or tobogganing (sliding on its belly instead of waddling). Besides that,
penguin chicks have soft downy feathers, which is actually a more effective insulator against the
cold air on land than the parents' feathers. However, the soft down hampers the chicks from
swimming, so the chicks have to molt before their first dives. While the morphological
adaptations of the Emperor penguins greatly aid their survival in Antarctica, their physiological
features also play a major role in their lives.
There are several distinctive physiological traits that enhance the determined existence of
Emperor penguins in the frigid lands of Antarctica. In essence, physiological adaptations are a
dynamic, ongoing chemical process occurring inside the body of an organism, who uses it to

thrive in its environment. A complex heat exchange system allows the Emperor penguin to
recapture 80% of the heat contained in its breath through its nasal passages, therefore giving the
penguin the ability to conserve body heat in such freezing air. Since penguins mainly rely on a
diet of fish, they can also hold their breath for up to 22 minutes, and dive to depths of nearly 550
metres to hunt their prey. As a result, Emperor penguins can reach and exploit sources of food
that other birds cannot. Before diving, an Emperor penguin's heartbeat, usually 60-70 bpm,
accelerates to 180-200 bpm to load up on oxygen. The heart rate of the penguin drops to 100
bpm upon contact with the water, and then slows even further to 20 bpm for the rest of the dive
to conserve oxygen. In mating season, males can fast for up to 100 days to prioritize food for the
chicks, since meals are very scarce in the harsh Antarctic winter. Also, males can produce a form
of "milk" in the oesophagus to temporarily feed chicks before the female comes back from
fishing. Thus, the physiological adaptations of the Emperor penguin are definitely attuned to the
selective pressures of Antarctica (cold environment, prey like fish). In relation, the behavioral
traits of Emperor penguins are also extremely effective and well-adapted.
Behavioral adaptations are the actions or habits that organisms practice in order to
survive. Emperor penguins have numerous behaviours that directly address the selective
pressures of Antarctica. To resist the cold, Emperor penguins huddle together to conserve heat.
Unlike other penguin species, they are not aggressive about their territory, hence the huddling.
Uniquely, Emperor penguins are the only large organism to remain in Antarctica throughout its
brutal winter. They also breed in the depths of winter so the chicks can be large enough by
summertime to be independent, when there is an abundance of food. Interestingly enough,
Emperor penguins do not make nests. Instead, the chick sits on the parent's feet and huddles
under a flap of skin to keep warm. In terms of "babysitting," male Emperor penguins take care of
the chicks when the mothers are out fishing, lasting up to 115 days. While its behavioral
adaptations are fascinating, the care of Emperor penguin chicks is definitely noteworthy.
Emperor penguins care for their young meticulously, which involves a combination of
adaptations. In March and April, Emperor penguins begin to travel more than 50 miles inland to
arrive at a breeding colony and find a mate (behavioral adaptation). It is noteworthy that
Emperor penguins are monogamous and very likely to mate with the same partner the following
year, should they encounter each other again. In addition, female penguins can only lay 1 egg per
year, in the depths of the Antarctic winter. To attract a mate, the male penguins cry out with a
mating call, which lasts about 2 seconds. When facing a mate, both will imitate the other's body
posture, and then walk around the crowd, with the female following the male. Then, they bow to
one another before copulating. After the female lays her one egg, she rolls it carefully to the
male, who incubates the egg at a constant temperature of 31 degrees Celsius in his brood pouch
(morphological adaptation). The male will fast in this time period, living off reserves of body
fat and losing up to 45% of his body weight. With the egg safely under the care of the male, the
female departs for the sea to fish for food, usually remaining there for 100 days. The female will
also fast while fishing (physiological adaptation). During this time span, the egg hatches into a

chick. The female returns with food to feed the newly hatched chick, while the male fasts and
goes looking for food as well. In addition, while the male is gone, the female will supervise the
chick. Generally, the male leaves to fish in late July to August, when most of the snow and ice
have melted. As a result, the trip will be shorter for him than his mate. He will return with food
to feed his chick and mate, as well as take turns brooding and feeding the chick with his partner.
After a couple months, the parents stop feeding the chick, who will have to find its own food
from that point on.
It is clear that the adaptations of Emperor penguins, whether they be morphological,
behavioral, or physiological, give the penguins an edge in surviving proficiently in Antarctica.
These adaptations have numerous useful applications, like in the penguin breeding process. The
reason for the success of Emperor penguins in Antarctica is due to the fact that the frigid, barren
environment selects for these traits. Most likely, without their highly developed adaptations, the
Emperor penguins could die out, as they would then be selected against. As a result, the Emperor
penguin owes its impressive traits to the process of natural selection, which favors and develops
the adaptations that the penguin possesses.