Former penguin biologist here, it’s bullshit.
Yeah it sounded like bullshit to me since humans are so energy efficient we can hunt by running after animals until they’re exhausted. Seems like it’s from this 2000 study published in Nature.
Penguins use twice as much calories moving around on land as other similar sized land animals. It was thought this was due to them being more adapted to swimming which resulted in them waddling when they walked on land which was inefficient.
Turns out that thought was only half true. They use more energy to get around on land because they’re not adapted to walking, but waddling isn’t the cause. Waddling is actually more energy efficient, for the speed penguins move at. The research suggested the excess energy use is due to the muscle fibers in their legs. Their short legs require powerful, but inefficient, muscles to support their large bodies. The waddling might actually be a way to cut down on their energy use while on land.
Doesntpostmuch@possumpat.io 1 week ago
mehdi_benadel@lemmy.balamb.fr 1 week ago
Can you please elaborate on what is bullshit? You are answering to an answer refuting the OP post, we don’t even know if you’re refuting the answer or the post, and you did not provide any clue as to why it’s bullshit.
Doesntpostmuch@possumpat.io 1 week ago
The original post is nonsense. Penguins are incredibly inefficient at waddling around on land, but they are extremely efficient in the water. Much of their preferred locomotion on land is sliding on their belly in the snow which is more energy efficient than waddling. So the idea that their third most energy effecient form of locomotion is more effect than a human on land is pretty absurd.
mehdi_benadel@lemmy.balamb.fr 1 week ago
Thank you for the clarification :) !
someacnt@sh.itjust.works 1 week ago
May I ask, how penguins are soo cute?
Also does penguins perform social communication
Doesntpostmuch@possumpat.io 1 week ago
They are pretty cute…when they aren’t actively slapping or biting you.
Much of their communication is vocal forms of communication with visual displays and violence mixed in. They will great their mates and chicks with vocalizing. For some species, they will display with their eyes and posture. If they need more communication with will bite and slap.
flambonkscious@sh.itjust.works 1 week ago
I’ve no idea personally, but i do remember in that Morgan freeman doco about the penguins, they know each others call (and mate exclusively), so when there’s the huge mess of penguins everywhere they really can distinguish ‘which one is their partner’.
And to us they all just look (and sound!) the same
BastingChemina@slrpnk.net 1 week ago
From what I’ve read we are energy efficient but this is not the main reason why we are good persistent hunters.
We have two main advantages, one we can stand above the tall grass to spot our prey from afar but mainly we sweat !
We are extremely good at regulating our internal temperature in hot climates compared to other animals, this way we can just follow them until they overheat at which point they physically have to stop.
This is also why persistent hunting is practiced by tribes in the hot savanna of Africa, I have not heard about any example of persistent hunting in cold climates.