A penguin’s plight is one often marred by existential crisis. Aside from surviving arduous treks and difficult environmental conditions, no one is quite sure how many species of penguins there are, with debate on what other species they are related to. On top of that, pressure from human activity is putting many of them at risk.
Depending on whom you ask, there are between 17 and 20 species of penguin. Whether the Royal Penguin is a different coloured version of the Macaroni Penguin, or the White-flippered Penguin a subspecies of the Little Penguin, still remains unclear. Why are scientists in such a flap over these flippered, flightless seabirds? The answer has to do with evolution.
There isn’t a solid definition of what constitutes a species, though there are two competing concepts. The biological species theory considers species separate when they are unable to mate and produce offspring that can survive. Some closely related groups form hybrids when they mate, however, throwing a wrinkle into this overly simplistic definition.
An alternative solution doesn’t fare all that much better. The phylogenetic species concept considers species separate when they show a certain degree of genetic difference. But how much difference is enough? And when does a genetically different population become a species?
What the differences between these two concepts show is that the term “species” is a mental construct created by humans in an effort to order the often-complicated natural world. As Darwin wrote in 1859, “I look at the term species as one arbitrarily given, for the sake of convenience, to a set of individuals closely resembling each other.” Harkening back to the days of Carl Linnaeus, the father of binomial nomenclature (listing it as a genus followed by a species name), there has been a consistent effort to list, describe, and compartmentalize all the various forms of life that surround us. Today, there is a dark side to that drive for understanding: determining which species are a higher priority to save from extinction.
Instead, conservation authorities use terms that are more flexible, such as the idea of a designatable unit, which allows for any species, variety or genetically extinct population to be defined and protected. As it is, 12 species of penguins are at some risk of extinction due to habitat degradation, introduced predators, over-exploitation of fish (their major food source), and pollution.
The worldwide collapse of fisheries due to mismanagement is a key example of economic interests butting heads with environmental concerns. The upward effect such collapse has on the food chain— starving penguins—shouldn’t come as a surprise. Global warming compounds the problem further for many Antarctic species, including the photogenic Emperor, star of the documentary March of the Penguins, as deteriorating ice shelves could make many essential penguin breeding grounds unusable. As well, shifts in prey-ranges due to warmer weather may force certain species to travel farther to obtain food.
All in all, it’s hard out here for a penguin. When you aren’t busy having an identity crisis, you’re trying to keep up with the rapidly changing world. Between the cold and the state of affairs, one can see how these guys might be feeling blue.
