They have wings but cant use them, howcome?
2006-09-11 08:42:19 · 18 answers · asked by strawberry delight 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Trivia
They do use their wings to paddle through the water and get fish to eat. Having feathery wings to move through the air would leave them hungry - the water is their preferred location
2006-09-11 08:45:54 · answer #1 · answered by Rich Z 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Long ago the ancestor's of penguins were birds that could fly. However, they evolved to become superb divers, and in the process lost the power of flight. A flying bird has to minimise its weight. For example, all flying birds have hollow bones. In contrast, to be a successful diver a penguin wants to keep it's weight high, so they have solid bones. Penguins are excellent divers, they can dive to depths of 1000m and remain down for up to 20 minutes. While penguins cannot fly in the air, they do seem to fly through the water - if you ever get the chance to see penguins swimming in a large and deep pool you will never again say they can't fly!
2006-09-11 15:49:01 · answer #2 · answered by Natural_Woman 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The are "aqua-dynamic," as contrasted with being "aero-dynamic," as most birds are. Penguins are adapted to swim in frigid oceans and to waddle about on ice floes. Although they have wings, those wings function more like flippers or fins. I'm sure that their ancient ancestors flew at one time, but penguins evolved to fill a different ecological niche--a niche in which they didn't need to have the ability to fly, just swim.
2006-09-11 15:50:21 · answer #3 · answered by Cyn 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Penguins, like other flightless birds (ostriches and emus) evolved from birds that could fly.
65 million years ago the ancestors of today's penguins flew over the ocean and dove down into the water for food.
Over millions of years, their hollow bones became solid and they could no longer lift themselves out of the water to fly. But, their heavier bones made is easier for them to dive down into the water.
ooooh get me, all factual.......lol, but this is why penguins can't fly!!! (me thinks) haha
2006-09-12 04:38:45 · answer #4 · answered by xhoneybeex 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They can fly, but in the water. I have seen penguins in the water and they really looks like they are flying. kindda cute!!
2006-09-11 23:11:23 · answer #5 · answered by carebears0408 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Their wings are small and their bodies are large so the small wings cannot lift their bodies into flight.
2006-09-11 15:49:17 · answer #6 · answered by sharkscue 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they use them for swimming... they "fly" through the water with them..
it's not rocket science.. they're wings are too small for they're body weight... they'd need HUGE wings to take flight..
2006-09-11 16:32:14 · answer #7 · answered by xjujijimex 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The body proportion
2006-09-11 15:56:09 · answer #8 · answered by Matthew 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
chickens don't really fly either and they have wings...i figure because they were not made to fly and their to heavy
2006-09-11 15:49:05 · answer #9 · answered by Babe 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They've evolved into underwater fliers...cause thats where the food is at the poles.
2006-09-12 08:02:31 · answer #10 · answered by Lord Cif 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋