Isabela Island
Penguins in the Galápagos? On the Equator? On lava? Yes! But, how come? We usually picture these birds living in cold climates, not on hot, jagged, black lava. The Galápagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) is a bird species that surprises our visitors by its presence in this archipelago. It seems like they are out of place; that they are not supposed to be here. These unique birds are a marvelous example of evolution and adaptation. In the recent past, penguins were brought to this side of the Pacific by strong equatorial ocean currents. Once here these cold weather birds found an environment dramatically different from the one they left behind. They found a warmer place with very few predators and competitors. The isolation of the archipelago and its unique ecological conditions have provoked changes in the original penguins by means of the continued action of natural selection. The product of this long and ever continuing process is a different penguin species, the endemic Galápagos penguin.
In these short paragraphs it is not my intention to give you a complete overview concerning these wonderful birds. Many pages would be needed to describe their fascinating natural history. Instead I will mention a few quick facts that I find particularly fascinating. The feet of cold climate penguins are used to absorb the heat from the sunlight. In the Galápagos, penguins have adapted to their new hot and volcanic environment and they keep their feet shaded. By doing this, Galápagos penguins do not take on an extra heat load that might be lethal to them. They are very small, the second smallest penguin species in the whole world. Their tiny size helps them to find sufficiently small lava crevices to nest in. Small body size also helps then to be more efficient in terms of thermoregulation (control of body temperature). These birds have fewer feathers per square inch than their relatives; in essence they have a lighter, tropical coat.
I want to emphasize the fact that these unique birds are great examples of arrival, establishment, adaptation and evolution on isolated islands. The Galápagos penguins are one of the most emblematic, unusual and beloved bird species found in this island paradise.
Penguins in the Galápagos? On the Equator? On lava? Yes! But, how come? We usually picture these birds living in cold climates, not on hot, jagged, black lava. The Galápagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) is a bird species that surprises our visitors by its presence in this archipelago. It seems like they are out of place; that they are not supposed to be here. These unique birds are a marvelous example of evolution and adaptation. In the recent past, penguins were brought to this side of the Pacific by strong equatorial ocean currents. Once here these cold weather birds found an environment dramatically different from the one they left behind. They found a warmer place with very few predators and competitors. The isolation of the archipelago and its unique ecological conditions have provoked changes in the original penguins by means of the continued action of natural selection. The product of this long and ever continuing process is a different penguin species, the endemic Galápagos penguin.
In these short paragraphs it is not my intention to give you a complete overview concerning these wonderful birds. Many pages would be needed to describe their fascinating natural history. Instead I will mention a few quick facts that I find particularly fascinating. The feet of cold climate penguins are used to absorb the heat from the sunlight. In the Galápagos, penguins have adapted to their new hot and volcanic environment and they keep their feet shaded. By doing this, Galápagos penguins do not take on an extra heat load that might be lethal to them. They are very small, the second smallest penguin species in the whole world. Their tiny size helps them to find sufficiently small lava crevices to nest in. Small body size also helps then to be more efficient in terms of thermoregulation (control of body temperature). These birds have fewer feathers per square inch than their relatives; in essence they have a lighter, tropical coat.
I want to emphasize the fact that these unique birds are great examples of arrival, establishment, adaptation and evolution on isolated islands. The Galápagos penguins are one of the most emblematic, unusual and beloved bird species found in this island paradise.
