Penguins have evolved from birds that used to fly. At some stage, the penguin ancestors became increasingly adept at swimming and lost the ability to fly. In the trade-off, their short, powerful wings make excellent flippers for "flying" underwater, being less fragile and creating less drag than the long wings of many other seabirds. Another advantage of giving up flight is that they can put on weight. The ability to store food reserves as fat is an advantage for birds that have to travel far to obtain food, and larger penguins can dive deeper and for longer.
| Time | 1900 | 1950 | 2000 |
|Short Wings | 14,000 | 3,000 | 700 |
|Long Wings | 500 | 2,500 | 6,000 |
Categorize the responses. to these two groups
Conclusion Supported by Data Conclusion NOT Supported by Data
Responses:
Penguins with short wings had an advantage
Penguins with long wings were able to swim longer to get more food
Penguins with short wings were more easily picked off by predators
Penguins with long wings were considered better mates.
Penguins with short wings were stronger swimmers and able to evade predators better.
Conclusion Supported by Data:
- Penguins with short wings had an advantage
- Penguins with short wings were stronger swimmers and able to evade predators better
Conclusion NOT Supported by Data:
- Penguins with long wings were able to swim longer to get more food
- Penguins with short wings were more easily picked off by predators
- Penguins with long wings were considered better mates.