Video Transcript
Look at the picture. Which of these adaptations of
emperor penguins is a behavioral adaptation? (A) Male and female penguins have
an insulated pouch, called a brood pouch, between their feet to keep their egg or
chick warm. (B) Male penguins can go for about
100 days without eating. Or (C) adult male penguins keep the
egg warm for weeks, while the females go hunting.
The question asks us to identify
which of the adaptations given in the answer choices is a behavioral adaptation. A behavioral adaptation is a
specific action or behavior that an organism performs that makes it well suited to
its environment.
Let’s look at the adaptation
described in answer choice (A). This answer choice describes the
brood pouch, which is a pouch between the penguins’ feet, which keeps the egg or
chick warm. This answer choice isn’t describing
an action or behavior, so cannot be the correct answer. The brood pouch is, in fact, an
example of a different type of adaptation, called a structural adaptation. A structural adaptation is a
special physical feature of an organism that makes it well suited to its
environment.
Let’s consider answer choice (B),
which states that male penguins can go for about 100 days without eating. This is a useful ability as it
means the males can remain behind protecting the egg and chick once hatched, whilst
the females go hunting for long periods. The male is able to do this because
he will have built up fat stores over the summer months, a structural adaptation,
and by sleeping for much of the day, which conserves energy. The ability to fast for long
periods is not a behavioral adaptation. So we can eliminate answer choice
(B).
The final answer choice states that
the adult male penguins keep the egg warm for weeks, while the females go
hunting. This adaptation is behavioral. The male stays and protects the
egg, increasing the chances of the chick surviving in the harsh Antarctic
environment, whilst the mother hunts for vital food. So, the adaptation of the emperor
penguins which is a behavioral adaptation is given in answer choice (C). Adult male penguins keep the egg
warm for weeks, while the females go hunting.
