Evolution Of Penguin Essay

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Evolution of an Emperor Penguin
By Aarushi Singh

The Emperor Penguin lives in Antarctica, and is the largest penguin out of the seventeen species of penguins. It is also known as Aptenodytes forsteri. It is in the kingdom Animalia and in the class Aves, which contains all of the birds. It can weigh anywhere between 50 - 100 pounds and can have a height of up to 45 inches meaning that the average Emperor Penguin would be taller than your waist.
As chicks, these penguins start out with no feathers and are dependent on their parents for warmth. As time goes by, their grey down, or fluffy fur, fills in with a crown of black hair, from their bill to the back of the neck, extending to the sides of the neck. Then eventually the black covers their …show more content…

They have a big population, have a large range, and can live until they are 15-20 years old. However, there are also some factors that could reduce their population. Temperatures are rising because of global warming that will reduce the penguins breeding grounds and melt the ice. Also, overfishing is a danger. There is also a new disease called Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV) that can be found in chicks, that is very contagious. However, even with all of these factors, Emperor Penguins are said to be the most least likely penguin species to go instinct.
Even though the Emperor Penguins aren't going extinct, there are many things that humans do that harm
One of the things humans do to the penguins is kill them. Luckily, in the year 1959, a treaty called the Antarctic Treaty was released saying that it was against the law for people to hunt Emperor Penguins and their eggs. However, this rule has slowly become unimportant and now many people don't listen to this rule and kill them anyway.
Another thing humans have done to hurt, not only penguins, but a lot or sea animals, are oil spills. Oil spills are usually caused when ships travel through these animal's habitat. When the penguins are swimming or grooming themselves, they may accidentally swallow oil which can poison themselves and affect their

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