1. Thermoregulation in Penguins

2. Overview Typical Thermoregulatory Practices Blubber/fat Feathers
Huddling
tripod

3. Humeral Arterial Plexus
Vascular counter-current heat exchange (CCHE)
Limits heat loss through flipper
Allows foraging for duration in cold waters
Conduction & Convection
Humeral = humerus
Arterial = arteries
Plexus = system of vessels
(Thomas, 2010)

4. Breeding Season 4 months Fasting 20kg body mass (emperor) Brood patch
Conduction
Temperature sensing neurons

5. Ontogeny of thermoregulatory mechanisms
Ontogeny = origination / development of an organism
Thermal emancipation
Thermogenic capacity
Thermal insulation (Duchamp, 2002)
Chick Age
Thermoregulatory Mechanisms
Newly Hatched
Regulatory thermogenesis (21% increase in heat production)
Rapidly became hypothermic
2-3 days
32% increase in resting metabolic rate
52% increase in peak metabolic rate
1 week
2-fold rise in thermogenic capacity
2-3 weeks
2- fold increase in thermal insulation
Reduction in resting heat production

6. Sources
Thomas, D. B., Ksepka, D. T., & Fordyce, R. E. (2010). Penguin heat-retention structures evolved in a greenhouse Earth. Biology letters, 7(3), 461–464. doi: /rsbl
Duchamp, C., Rouanet, J., & Barré, H. (2002). Ontogeny of thermoregulatory mechanisms in king penguin chicks (Aptenodytes patagonicus). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology,131(4), doi: /s (02)