In Defense of the Penguin

Have you ever been in a position where you feel  strongly about something, but when put on the spot have a hard time defending your position? Of course you have.

Take Penguins for example. They are magnificent birds that captivated my imagination when I was a boy of 9. I was recently asked: "what is so awesome about a penguin?" I wanted to leap from my chair, march over and tell them EXACTLY what was so awesome about the bird.  One problem...I didn't know where to begin.

Do I start with the story about why I came to enjoy the penguin? Do I go into the evolutionary theory of what makes them so different than any other bird on Earth, or should I go into differences in dive physiology between penguins, marine mammals and fish?

I have reasons to appreciate and respect the little black and white bird, some are empirical, others are emotional. Separating the two can be difficult, and that isn't a bad thing.

My friend, that asked, was taking her daughter to the zoo.  Her advice… "You are talking about penguins. Don't put so much pressure on yourself…" Fair enough.

We are taught to lead with data and let it guide our decisions. I think, if you truly believe in what you are doing, and in yourself, you should lead with your gut and then provide the appropriate support.

Next time you go to the zoo, stop by the penguin exhibit. They are always crowded, usually have a wait, and the viewers are always pointing and chattering. We don’t have to understand why we like them or understand how the bird does 'its thing' - we just do (and it doesn't mean the evidence isn't there).

Image courtesy of True Wildlife Blog

Creatures with All Sorts of Features

My 2 year old son is enamored with the PBS program “Dinosaur Train.” As any parent can attest, it is amazing to watch a young one learn and become interested in new things. His phrase de jour is “wassat;” not a far cry from the proper English: “What is that?” It turns out; it is becoming much more difficult, as a scientist, to answer him clearly and concisely. When I was a kid, a dinosaur was a dinosaur – and will probably be the same for him, but hang with me for a second. As I learned more, birds were dinosaurs, crocodilians and turtles were dinosaurs. Heck dinosaurs weren’t really extinct after all…well not genetically.

As a young boy growing up in the St. Louis suburbs, it was also a known fact that all dinos lived in dense steamy jungles. Recently it was published that this isn’t the whole truth. A paper published, in the online journal Nature, describes fossilized remains of several species of dinosaur detailed feather composition, and concluded the feathers were too thick for warm environments. Further geological evidence supports that mid-latitude areas of China experienced bone chilling cold. So now it is hypothesized that dinosaur feathers helped some species ride out harsh winters.

While some used the feathers to stay cozy in the cold, others used feathers with pizazz.

So, the next time my son asks – pointing to a tree with birds chirping – “wassat?”  I feel like answering “a small flashy feathered dinosaur getting ready for a cold Midwestern winter.” C’mon, it’s not like he has any idea what I am saying…yet!

Photo from National Geographic (courtesy Mick Ellison).