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Adaptations of Marine Worms in Antarctica

What structural adaptations do you see on the Adelie penguin?

adelie wanderingWhat structural adaptations can you observe on this Adelie penguin? adelie slidingWhat structural adaptations can you observe on this Adelie penguin?
Mon, 10/03/2011 - 05:15

Anonymous

Structures/ functions of penguinsFeathers to keep warm
fins shaped arms to swim in water
webbed feet to walk on snow and swim in water
beak for defending itself and catching fish
torpedo sahped body to swim faster

Mon, 10/03/2011 - 06:12

Anonymous

Same as A period except these additions:Tail is used to keep it upright when walking
Shape isn't only for water, but for sliding in snow
Color is black to keep it warm in limited sunlight

Mon, 10/03/2011 - 08:07

Anonymous

New ideas:Webbed feet are for holding eggs as well as swimming
eyes on side of head to avoid predators
tail is for steering in water
Colors balck is to get warm and be hard to see in water, white is for them to blend in with ice

Mon, 10/03/2011 - 20:08

Michael League

Mr. Crandell's classes,You did a great job looking at the structural adaptations of the Adelie
penguin. I definitely owe you postcards. Here's a quick summary of the
ones our team agrees with:
Feathers - insulation
Webbed feet - walking and swimming
Beak - catching fish
Body shape - torpedo-shaped for faster swimming
Tail - balance when walking, steering when swimming
Coloring - camoflague
All of these are great! There are still some more out there to guess,
so let's hear from some others. Also, like with the Weddell seals, Mr.
Crandell's classes don't quite have the right idea with the feather
coloring. We're looking for someone who can explain why they might be
lighter underneath and darker on their backs.
Thoughts?
Mike

Tue, 10/04/2011 - 16:57

Anonymous

Mr League,Kids are dying to know the answer to why the black on top and the white on bottom for the seal and penguin. If not blending into their environment or for warmth (since black absorbs more EM than white) WHY? I'm dying to know as well,
Mr Crandell
We can wait till others guess, but we are very curios

Mon, 06/29/2015 - 20:40

Random Person124

The reason (I think) is so when they are swimming, from the bottom predators see the white, similar to the brightness of the water above from the sun, and when looking down they see the black, and that helps them blend into the deeper colours of the water :)

Tue, 06/30/2015 - 03:48

Michael League

You got it! The technical term for this is "countershading", and you definitely understand how it works.Can you think of any other animals that are shaded like this? Darker on one side and lighter on the other side?Thanks for posting!Mike