Jackass Penguin example essay topic

518 words
Future. When one hears that word, one thinks of towering skyscrapers piercing the clouds, swift hovercrafts emitting beeping noises, and servile robots on wheels. But a thought that is not popular amongst human minds is what the future holds in store for animals, much less jackass penguins. The purpose of this paper is to inform you of the possible adaptations that the jackass penguin could evolve in the future. As you will see, the environment is a major component in evolution. Let us take a journey into the year 2079...

The jackass penguin used to live off the coast of South Africa. It did not live on the mainland because of the dangers of predators. Because of global warming, the polar ice caps melted (as we all know) and caused many of the islands to be covered by the rising ocean levels. This left only the larger islands protruding from the ascending waters, causing the penguins to spend more time underwater. The jackass penguin, in turn, has adapted to its aquatic lifestyle by evolving certain body parts.

One thing that the jackass penguin has had to adapt to is the increase in temperature as a result of global warming. A larger head is used to give off body heat. The lighter color of the fur absorbs less heat while the reduced number of fat layers help to keep in less warmth. The jackass penguin has also had to adapt to a more aquatic life. A larger beak is used to catch more fish as it is harder to catch them than ever before (they, too, have evolved to better survive against predators).

Stiffer wings and larger webbed feet help the penguin swim faster, while a stronger tail aids in steering. Furthermore, a streamlined body gives the penguin more freedom in the water. You may be wondering how the jackass penguin evolved from a chubby, dark creature into a one adapted to its environment. The answer lies in Darwin's theory of natural selection, where organisms that are more fit are more likely to survive and produce offspring. As the jackass penguin's surrounding's changed, penguins that retained heat or were not suited for swimming were unfit and died out, whereas the small number of penguins with lighter fur and better swimming capabilities survived and reproduced. This "natural selection" has caused the population of ideally suited penguins to rise and the number of unfit penguins to decline.

And so we see how the jackass penguin has evolved to better survive in harsh environments. Join us next time, where we will be discussing the jackass kookaburra... Organisms evolve when environment changes. The jackass penguin, for example, could evolve a larger head, lighter color, and less layers of fat to regulate heat, and a larger beak, stiffer wings, a stronger tail, larger webbed feet, and a streamlined body for swimming. Thus, we see that the environment is the most important factor in the evolution of an organism.