Gentoo Penguin
Classifications
Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Aves
Order - Sphenisciformes
Family - Spheniscidae
Genus - Pygoscelis
Species - P. Papua
Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Aves
Order - Sphenisciformes
Family - Spheniscidae
Genus - Pygoscelis
Species - P. Papua
MorphologyGentoo Penguins are defined morphologically as a single species with a northern and southern subspecies. Differences in nuptial displays and particularly mating calls, however, suggest isolation among island archipelagos of different ocean basins. We thus asked whether genetic divergence of populations could be confirmed using molecular markers. A phylogenetic tree was constructed from a sample of 110 Gentoo Penguins and 58 haplotypes from the control region of the mitochondrial DNA. Reanalyses of historical data on morphology were conducted to construct additional phylogenetic trees for comparison. In agreement with differences in mating calls, the phylogenetic tree that was based on mitochondrial DNA showed a deep division between populations in the Indian and Atlantic oceans. The current systematic division into two subspecies based on morphology was not supported. The division between populations in the Indian and Atlantic oceans was great enough to justify taxonomic revision, with at least three distinct clades: two in the respective sub-Antarctic and Antarctic zones of the Atlantic Ocean, and a deeply divergent and unnamed third clade in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean. In contrast to more pelagic species like Rockhopper Penguins, the restricted coastal foraging ranges of Gentoo Penguins and the distances among isolated oceanic archipelagos could explain the distribution of genetically differentiated populations.
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Adaptations For Survival
Gentoo penguins have white bellies so they blend in to the water when swimming their bellies look like the sky from the depths. Their backs are black so from above so sea birds won't recognize them from the air. Penguins have also developed a ability to "slide" across the snow to escape from predators. Such as seals. The seals can also slide but not as diligently as the penguins. the penguins have a more controlled slide than the seals.
Distribution Map
Importance
Gentoo penguin skin has been exploited to produce clothing and accessories such as caps, slippers and purses. The feathers have been used for clothing and decorations. Their fat layer has also been exploited to extract oil. In earlier times rural human populations in the Falklands harvested Gentoo eggs as a source of dietary protein; these practices have currently subsided to a great extent. The total economic value of the species is far greater than any imputed current economic benefit; in addressing the total economic benefit one considers the existence benefit (value placed on the species for observation and for willingness to preserve the species) as well as the legacy benefit, or that value for future generations in supplying enjoyment as well as genetic resources which can prove valuable in scientific research and pharmaceutical sources.
Facts
- Are the penguin world's third largest members, reaching a height of 30 inches and a weight of 12 pounds.
- Gentoos are partial to ice-free areas, including coastal plains, sheltered valleys, and cliffs.
- Gather in colonies of breeding pairs that can number from a few dozen to many thousands.
- Gentoo parents, which often form long-lasting bonds, are highly nurturing. At breeding time, both parents will work to build a circular nest of stones, grass, moss, and feathers. The mother then deposits two spherical, white eggs, which both parents take turns incubating for more than a month. Hatchlings remain in the nest for up to a month, and the parents alternate foraging and brooding duties.
- They can remain below for up to seven minutes and dive as deep as 655 feet.
- An adult gentoo penguin makes as many as 450 dives a day foraging for food.
- Average life span in the wild is 15 to 20 years.
Vocabulary
- Brood Patch - A bare patch of skin coverd by a fatty flap that develops low on a penguin's abdomen during breeding season.
- Colonial - Describes birds that nest and breed in a group. All penguins are colonial and typically return to the same breeding area each year, with up to hundreds or thousands of breeding pairs raising chicks in the same spot. Depending on the exact species, adult birds may share duties to care for juvenile birds.
- Krill - A small, shrimp-like crustacean that is a prominent source of food for many different penguins.
- Pelagic - Describes any bird species that spends most of its life on, in or over the sea, often returning to land only to breed.
- Spheniscidae - The scientific family of birds that includes all the penguin species, both modern penguins and extinct species.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/gentoo-penguin/
http://birding.about.com/od/birdingglossary/tp/Penguin-Vocabulary.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentoo_Penguin