THE emperor penguin can jet through the water and leap onto an ice shelf at an amazing speed. How?
Consider: The
emperor penguin traps air in its feathers. Not only does this insulate
the bird against extreme cold but it also
enables it to move two or
three times faster than it otherwise could. How? Marine biologists have
suggested that it does so by releasing tiny air bubbles from between its
feathers. As these bubbles are released, they reduce friction on the
surface of the penguin’s plumage, enabling the bird to accelerate.
Interestingly, engineers have
been studying ways to make ships go faster by using bubbles to reduce
friction against their hulls. However, researchers acknowledge that
further investigation is challenging because “the complexity of penguin
plumage would be difficult to replicate in a man-made porous membrane or
mesh.”
What do you think? Did the emperor penguin’s feather coat come about by evolution? Or was it designed?
Source: jw.org
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