Facts For Kids

Researchers eventually discovered why penguins can not fly. According to them, it is because these birds have evolved to swim and dive wings by using leverage. The flightless penguin step is a mystery for scientists for decades. However, a new study of birds uria - a very similar species of penguins swimming and diving abilities, but you can still fly - review journal helped bring the final answer.

Scientists from the University of Aberdeen (UK) discovered, do not yet have any good at flying birds and swimming/diving. Although unknown by but penguins are swimming creatures keen highway. They can dive as deep as 564 meters to catch fish, squid and small crustaceans creatures to eat.

The team found that birds uria basically use less energy than most other birds as they dive. However, the power they need to move in the air when the highest in all levels ever recorded for a bird in flight and more than 31 times when we rest. Professor John Speakman, a member of the research team, some interesting facts said: "Our findings about the level of energy consumption when swimming and diving birds uria exactly match the predictions of biomechanical models.

The penguins can not fly is a mystery ever since it leads to a behavior seems to show less adaptive. For example, the emperor penguin often walk to 60km between our gathering place on the beach and ocean - a journey lasting several days but may be shortened in a few hours if they could fly. The flightless penguin step is a mystery for scientists for decades. However, a new study of birds uria - a very similar species of penguins swimming and diving abilities, but you can still fly - helped bring the final answer.

Scientists from the University of Aberdeen (UK) discovered, do not yet have any good at flying birds and swimming / diving. Although unknown by but penguins are swimming creatures keen highway. They can dive as deep as 564 meters to catch fish, amazing animal facts squid and small crustaceans creatures to eat. The team found that birds uria basically use less energy than most other birds as they dive. However, the power they need to move in the air when the highest in all levels ever recorded for a bird in flight and more than 31 times when we rest.

Professor John Speakman, a member of the research team, said: "Our findings about the level of energy consumption when swimming and diving birds uria exactly match the predictions of biomechanical models. the penguins can not fly is a mystery ever since it leads to a behavior seems to show less adaptable. for example, the emperor penguin often walk to 60km between our gathering place on the beach seas and oceans - penguins facts for kids a journey lasting several days, but may be shortened in a few hours if they could fly.

In addition, many penguins become the target of predators, such as seals when the ocean. This problem can easily be avoided if penguins could fly even at the top of predatory enemies. However, when applied to a new hypothesis for the case of penguins, we can see, they can not fly because of the sacrifice of functionality of the air wings in exchange for the ability to maximize operation of underwater wings ".

Mr. Speakman explained, adding that, in the course of evolution, the penguins' wings have been modified to become more comfortable with the swimming and diving in the ocean, where they find food, to use energy efficiently measure. At the same time, the energy required for flying penguins becoming increasingly larger.

And to a certain point, this bird can not bear to consume too much energy for the fly to give up the ability to move in space and eventually can not fly anymore. Researchers said, perhaps the benefits of efficient energy use when looking for food offset the inefficiency of penguins having to walk at any time on the mainland plants for kids. He said that the birds can uria modern version of the ancient ancestors of penguins, as they have not lost the ability to fly.