Morphology, ontogenesis and mechanics of cervical vertebrae in four species of penguins (Aves: Spheniscidae).

• Published in: Polar Biology
• Main Authors: Guinard, Geoffrey, Marchand, Didier, Courant, Frédéric, Gauthier-Clerc, Michel, Le Bohec, Céline
• Other Authors: Biogéosciences UMR 6282 (BGS), Université de Bourgogne (UB)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie (DEPE-IPHC), Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC), Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar (Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA))-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar (Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA))-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2010
• Subjects: Penguins; Spheniscidae; Cervical vertebrae; Ontogenesis; Modularity; [SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity; Antarctic; New Zealand; Tuck; Antarc*; Eudyptes chrysolophus; Gentoo penguin; Macaroni penguin; Polar Biology; Pygoscelis papua
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-00491278; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-009-0759-2

16 pages International audience Penguins (Aves: Spheniscidae) are pelagic, flightless seabirds, restricted to the southern hemisphere (Antarctic and sub-Antarctic areas, New Zealand, Australia, and nearby islands, as well as parts of South America and South Africa). They spend much of their life at sea, but return to islands and coasts to breed. Penguins are terrestrial as juveniles and aquatic as adults. To improve hydrodynamics, penguins tuck in their necks while swimming. They thus attain an ‘‘ichthyosaur'' or ‘‘cetacean'' body shape: characterised by telescoped cervicals. This mechanism is also used on land, associated with the posture of these birds. Our study of neck structure and cervical vertebrae morphology (morphological description, biometry and contour analysis) of the King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus), Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua), Macaroni Penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus) and Humboldt Penguin (Sphensicus humboldti) shows a highly specialised fitting in adults, which develops during ontogenesis. The growth of penguins proceeds by stages and there are key stages with regard to the design of the neck. Despite a common main structure, some characteristics vary between species. Distribution of cervical vertebrae can be defined by six modules. There are differences in modularity between species and also within species between different ontogenetical phases.