![]() ![]() In the emperor penguin, contour feathers provide an impenetrable and rigid waterproof cover over a thick, insulative layer of down. The contour feathers are the stiff outer layer of body feathers that protect the bird's skin. The objectives of this study were to examine the types, density and distribution patterns of body feathers on the emperor penguin, including (i) contour feathers, (ii) afterfeathers, (iii) plumules and (iv) filoplumes. In addition, much of what is reported about penguin feathers is either unsubstantiated or conflicting. Yet there is a dearth of information about penguin body feathers. The penguin's plumage is one of the keys to survival in Antarctica. The insulative integrity of the feathers probably persists even at their maximum dive depth of 560 m because their deep dives continue serially for several hours with short surface intervals. Individuals survive in large part owing to their thick and morphologically specialized plumage, which can provide 80–90% of insulation requirements and enables emperor penguins to maintain a core body temperature of 38☌. To feed their offspring, they dive in −1.8☌ waters to depths in excess of 500 m, deeper than any other diving animal that relies on an exterior coat of feathers or fur. Emperor penguins ( Aptenodytes forsteri) spend six months a year in one of the coldest habitats on the planet, breeding during the Antarctic winter where air temperatures fall below −40☌ and winds sometimes reach 26 m s −1 (50 knots). Our study also does not support the report that emperor penguins have the highest contour feather density.Īntarctic penguins must endure some of the greatest environmental challenges on the Earth. The downy plumules are four times denser than afterfeathers and play a key, previously overlooked role in penguin survival. Our results demonstrate the presence of both plumules and filoplumes in the penguin body plumage. This attribution of the afterfeather as the sole insulation component has been repeated in subsequent studies. In studies modelling the heat transfer properties and the potential biomimetic applications of penguin plumage design, the insulative properties of penguin plumage have been attributed to the single afterfeather attached to contour feathers. Penguins have been reported to have the highest contour feather density of any bird, and both filoplumes and plumules (downy feathers) are reported absent in penguins. Their ability to maintain 38☌ body temperature in these conditions is due in large part to their feathered coat. Emperor penguins breed on the sea ice where temperatures drop below −40☌ and forage in −1.8☌ waters. Antarctic penguins survive some of the harshest conditions on the planet. ![]()
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