Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
Penguins live in some of the coldest regions on Earth, but not all penguins are the same size. Even within a single species, individuals can vary in body size and fat thickness - traits that affect how well they retain heat.
Biologists from the Antarctic Marine Ecology Program studied a population of Adélie penguins in Antarctica. They measured how body mass and surface area affected heat loss rate and survival during cold conditions.
They found that larger penguins lose heat more slowly because they have a smaller surface-area-to-volume ratio, which helps them stay warm longer and survive better during storms and fasting periods.
Penguin Category | Average Body Mass (kg) | Heat Loss Rate (°C/hour) | Survival Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Small | 3.2 | 1.5 | 60 |
Medium | 4.0 | 1.1 | 80 |
Large | 4.8 | 0.8 | 92 |
Even though all penguins share similar adaptations for cold (feathers, blubber), individual variation in size influences survival. Larger penguins retain heat longer, giving them an advantage in severe cold - they spend less energy maintaining body temperature and are more likely to survive to reproduce.
This example demonstrates how variation in characteristics (body size) can lead to differences in survival and reproduction. In cold environments, larger body size is a beneficial variation that increases the chances of survival - an example of natural selection in action.
Make a claim, provide the evidence, and explain your reasoning for the statement:
“Penguins with larger body size lose heat more slowly and survive better in cold conditions.”
Claim:
Evidence:
Reasoning:
Refer to Table 1 in the Penguin Body Size and Heat Retention resource.
Describe the relationship between penguin size, heat loss rate, and survival rate.
What causes larger penguins to lose heat more slowly than smaller ones?
How is body size an example of inheritance and variation among penguins?
Explain how differences in body size affect which penguins survive in Antarctica’s cold environment.