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  • BirdWatching

    Adapted for extreme cold

    Dec 05, 2020 4 minutes
    BY ELDON GREIJ

    Penguins are among our most popular birds. They’re cute, resembling little munchkins dressed in tuxedos. They’re a paradox, walking like clumsy clowns but moving through water like synchronized swimmers. The largest (some over 4 feet tall) and most regal is the Emperor.

    Natural selection helped the Emperor Penguin prepare for its breeding site, the Antarctic continental ice sheet, and its summering area in the Southern Ocean off the Antarctic coast by adapting all systems for cold. Incredible cold. Temperatures on the continent regularly reach -40 degrees C/F and the ever-present winds can hit speeds of 80 mph.

    While adapting to an extreme cold environment seemed appropriate

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