TE24 International Desk:
WASHINGTON – The evolution of penguins from the ancestors of non-flying seabirds from frigid Antarctica to the tropical Galapagos Islands is one of the wonders of the animal world. On Tuesday (July 19), researchers conducted the most in-depth study of penguin history, including the identification of a range of genes involved in adaptations to 60 million years of underwater vision. It goes back to earlier sources. Very important for diving and the body.
Researchers have sequenced the genomes of 20 living penguin species and variants The researchers also included 50 fossils in their skeletal data-based analysis, as more than three-quarters of known penguins are now extinct.
According to the researchers, penguins evolved from a common ancestor shared with a group of seabirds, including albatrosses and shearwaters. The
Penguins first developed the ability to dive like puffins and then lost the ability to fly as they adapted to the aquatic realm and became good swimmers and divers.
The oldest known penguin that lived 61 million years ago, extinct about 5 million years after the mass extinction of dinosaurs in New Zealand called Waimanu maniringi.
“To me, penguins are a perfect example of major evolutionary changes like the evolution of aquatic whales and the flight of bats,” said Daniel Kseptka, a bird paleobiologist at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut. Increase. A study published in the journal Nature Communications.
“I know that penguins evolved from flightless birds, but that happened 60 million years ago, so you have to look at the fossil record to find out where, when and how.
Plus, penguins are incredibly fascinating creatures. It’s really easy to imagine that they all have the same purpose as humans because of their love, fighting, stealing and their funny straightforward manner,” Kesepka said.
This study shows how global warming is changing – fluctuating between cold and warm
“Using signatures left in the genome by the last 250,000 population and boom. We estimated how the population of each penguin species has changed over the years. “The number of ice sheets has a significant impact on penguins, and species at risk from sea ice retreat have an even greater impact on future global warming. You can take it.
Penguins live mainly in the Southern Hemisphere and include species such as the Adélie penguin on the Antarctic coast. The Galapagos penguin is the only penguin found north of the equator. Teresa Cole is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Copenhagen
The study revealed a variety of genes that may be involved in the penguins’ unique physiological adaptations, the study said. Teresa Cole, a postdoctoral fellow and lead author of the study at the University of Copenhagen, said the study found large nos.
They show genetic mutations that shift vision toward the blue end of the color spectrum. This feature helped fine-tune underwater vision in dark areas, as blue light penetrates deeper into the ocean than light at the red end of the spectrum.
Genes that help birds recognize salty and sour tastes are active in penguins. However, genes that help recognize bitter, sweet and savory tastes are inactive. These may no longer be necessary, as penguins forage in cold saltwater and typically consume whole prey such as fish, shrimp and squid.
Penguins help flatten and stiffen wing bones, shorten wind feathers, and turn wings into fins. In addition, we reduced the skeleton space, increased the thickness of the bone wall to improve diving efficiency and added the function of storing a lot of oxygen in the muscles during long diving.
Penguins were once much larger than today’s seeds. Kumimanubiceae, who lived in New Zealand 55 to 60 million years ago, was about 1.8 meters tall. The largest extant species, the emperor penguin, is about 1 meter tall.
