Evolution of Penguins
By: Aileen Santiago
Introduction
Penguins' Ancestors
Fossil Record
Icadyptes Salasi and Humboldt Penguin
Penguin Fossil Record
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25990-extinct-mega-penguin-was-tallest-and-heaviest-ever/
Waimanu Fossil Record
http://www.otago.ac.nz/geology/research/paleontology/waimanu.html
Evidence
Their ancestors had wing feathers and smaller body feathers and penguins now have flippers. Icadyptes was about 5 feet, Perudyptes was about 3 feet, and Waimanu was about half the size of an Emperor penguin. Today penguins are about 4 feet. The closest living relative is an albatross. All ancestors had long beaks to catch food or protect themselves from predators. Penguins have gotten smaller over time and their feathers have gotten thicker and shorter to adapt to their environment. How did wings evolve to flippers? Penguins did not need their wings to fly. But they did need to swim to hunt for food. So having flippers helped penguins swim in the water. Also, their joints fused their wrist to their elbow, that's why their flippers don't look like wings anymore.
FUN FACT
Click On the Link to Watch a Video of Evidence for the Evolution of Penguins
Thanks for Watching!
Credits
http://www.amnh.org/content/search?SearchText=evolution+of+penguins
https://www.scienceleadership.org/blog/The_Evolution_of_a_Penguin
http://www.penguins-world.com/penguin-evolution.html
http://www.pinguins.info/Engels/Evo_vlieg_eng.html
http://www.otago.ac.nz/geology/research/paleontology/waimanu.html
https://fossilpenguins.wordpress.com/2010/01/30/waimanu-the-first-penguin/