The 2005 film "The March of the Penguins" chronicled the survival challenges faced by emperor penguins. Researchers estimate that only 10 to 20 percent of emperor penguin chicks survive their first year of life in the frigid Antarctic (-40oF, up to 90-mph winds). A one in five first-year survival rate certainly is horrific, and sadly other penguin species also have high mortality rates (by human standards at least).
Yet penguins have adapted to a wide variety of environments, from the extreme cold of Antarctica to the equatorial waters of the Galapagos. The nearly 20 extant penguin species vary in size from 3.3 pounds (Little Blue Penguin) to as much as 99 pounds (Emperor Penguin).
If penguins were a business, we would conclude that they have creatively explored and developed diverse solutions to survive in diverse niches!
Here's how: The extreme "survival of the fittest" mortality rates require penguins to quickly adapt to new or changing environments. The fittest penguins have many opportunities over a long life (20 to 50 years for Emperor Penguins) to pass on their genes. If environmental conditions change, a different mix of parents will successfully procreate the next generation, and the species will thus evolve to adapt and thrive.
