Evolution Of Penguins Essay

New studies on penguins show that they have evolved since the Cretaceous period due to continental drift, shifting climate, and natural selection. Today’s penguins are more vulnerable to the effects of global warming even though their ancestors lived in warm temperatures. Fossil discoveries have helped researchers reveal penguins’ evolutionary history.

The evolutionary journey begins on the island of Zealandia, where penguins were first able to swim freely. At the end of the Cretaceous period, Zealandia began to drift northeast and slowly isolated plants and animals along with it. The island eventually started to sink and its shores were flooded. Many marine and terrestrial animals perished but penguins found themselves without any predators around. Soon they were able to explore new areas and new climate zones.

In separate studies, researchers Daniel Ksepka and Daniel Thomas noticed that the penguin fossils showed grooves on their humerus. These grooves were signs of a humeral arterial plexus—a penguin’s form of thermoregulation. The system of arteries and veins in their flippers ensured that warm blood cooled down by the time

They are the largest living species of penguins. A fossil identified as part of a penguin’s anklebone revealed that there was a species that was much larger than the average Emperor penguin. Many more fossils have been found which indicate that after penguins left Zealandia, vast varieties of species evolved. Some penguins were very large, some penguins were small, and some were developed stronger beaks. The penguins with stronger and sharper beaks were better equipped to quickly impale their prey while the penguins with a larger body size were able to dive deeper to search for food and could swim longer distances. Evolutionary biologists have discovered a lot by studying fossils and it is clear that penguins have found many ways to adapt to their surroundings over long periods of