Telegraph.co.uk: 'astonishing' rare black penguin living on South Georgia (1 Viewer)

[liverpool_bob]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/7405253/Pictured-rare-black-penguin-living-off-the-Falklands-coast.html

Cool, a goth penguin!

 

[dantheman]

Emus, Goths, whatever next?

Interesting, bit dissapointed though that it isn't being advertised as a rare bird which twitchers should be flocking to see. Still found this bit fun;

Melanism is however, common on other animal species such as squirrels.

It is estimated that about one in every 250,000 penguins shows evidence of the condition.

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology expert Dr Allan Baker, from the University of Toronto, said the Antarctic penguin was black because it had lost control of its pigmentation patterns.

After being shown the pictures by National Geographic, Dr Baker, also the head of the Department of Natural History at the Royal Ontario Museum, described them as “astonishing”.

"I've never ever seen that before,” he told the magazine.

“It's a one in a zillion kind of mutation somewhere. The animal has lost control of its pigmentation patterns. Presumably it's some kind of mutation.”

1 in 250,000, or 1 in 1 zillion?

And I can't help but think this penguin has been somewhat careless in losing control of its pigmentation!!

 

[Alan henry]

Here is a picture taken in the Falkland Islands of a Melanistic Gentoo Penguin..

Cheers
Alan
www.surfbirds.com/blog/falklandbirder

 

[LabradorDuck]

According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, the condition is the darkness in an animal’s skin, feathers, or fur is acquired by populations living in an industrial region where the environment is soot-darkened. It can be gene related
It does, however, mean that the probability that its members will survive and reproduce is enhance.
The condition evolves over the course of several generations.
But due to being lighter in colour, they become more conspicuous to predators.

And they wonder why the general public has a poor understanding of science.

 

[Quercus]

It's an awful bit of journalism , obviously written by someone who hasn't got a clue what they're talking about!

He's googled melanism... found an article about peppered moths.. hasn't understood what it's all about... and written rubbish.

I'd expect better fron the Telegraph !