Empertrololeon

<Emperor Penguin



__**Empertrololeon**__ Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Sphenisciformes Family: Spheniscidae Genus: Aptenodytes Species: Aptenodytes forsteri

** Habitat and Ecology [[image:CapeAdareMap.gif align="right"]] **
mpertololeons will be very different to the penguins nowadays in 10 million years will look similar to the Emperor penguins today, except they will be much larger in size. In terms of colour, they will become blue and white to help they camouflage into the terrain. The Empertrololeons inhabit around the southern hemisphere, mostly around the coasts of the Antarctica. They might migrate to the south coast of New Zealand in winter depending on the temperature. The Primary diet of the Empertrololeon will be fish, but also crustaceans, including krill, cephalopods, squids and sometimes if they are desperate, they would hunt down bigger preys such as [|orcas] and seals. The number of predators of the Empertrololeon in the water will be decreased by the time due to the size and the improved physical structure. But on land, polar bears or scavenger birds could be a great threat because Empertrololeons are not as equipped on land. The climate of the Antarctica will be much warmer than it will be today. The average temperature of Antarctica will be somewhere around 2°C and will be much easier for them in the winter.

**Structural 1 – Enlarged wings**
The wings of the Empertrololeon will be enlarged, from the 12 inches of the Emperor Penguins, to the size of 2 meters long. These humongous wings can be used as peddles, allowing the Empertrololeon to swim faster than a jet boat. These wings can also be used as razor cutters, cutting the glaciers in the way to help them travel around. The wings will be much stronger compared to the wings penguins have today, they could be used as weapons for the Empertrololeon to defend themselves from predators, or hunt down their prey for food. During the harsh winter, these wings can expand to cover most of its body to protect themselves from the cold wind, therefore the huddling will not be needed. The pressure that causes the Empertrololeon to develop bigger wings is the global warming. As global warming grows, the Antarctica is losing its size due to the loss of ice, therefore the time spent in water will be increased too. At the same time, there will be an increased number of predators of the Empertrololeon therefore they need these improved wings to help them survive. In the future, although it won’t be as cold as it is today in the Antarctica and they will not need to huddle anymore, it will still be cold and their wings will be developed into bigger wings to protect themselves.

**Structural 2 - Fins**
Apart from having a streamlined body like the penguins nowadays, the Empertrololeons will grow fins on their back and the wings too. Fins on the Empertrololeon include the dorsal fin, adipose fin and the homocercal caudal fin. These fins can help them steer better in the water, by improving the gliding or crawling of the penguin. Different position of the fins have different purposes, the dorsal and the adipose fin can help turning and steering, the caudal fin can help by keeping an upright position, the pelvic fins will be replaced by the wings of the penguin to accelerate. The pressure that will cause the Empertrololeons to get fins is the increased time they spend in water. The need to adapt better in the water is compulsory in order to survive. The fins can improve their agility in water but might cause clumsiness on land.

**Behavioural 1 – Big Horns**
These Empertrololeons mate once every year during the mating season in winter. Each Empertrololeon can have more than one female partners but it will only choose the right one to reproduce. They have special horns made of some structural material similar to keratin. During the mating season, their horns would extend into reasonable size and that determines how great the male Empertrololeon is, so in other words, the bigger horns, the more female partners. Once they have reproduced, and mating season has ended, their horns would shrink into normal size until the next mating season in the next year. There is no specific pressure that caused them to develop such mating custom. But it has been changed from paired mating like the emperor penguins today, to the 1 to many due to the uneven ratio of male to female.

**Behavioural 2 – Dancing**
Empertrololeons will dance when they are happy. It is very rare among other animals but Empertrololeons have developed this weird behavior through generations. Whenever they feel happy they dance, such as having enough food, having a partner, or even just comfortable. Their dance include flapping their wings. Spinning around with the wings covering their body, or tapping their feet continuously. This kind of behavior cannot be explained but it is believed that they have been influenced by the human activity, though human are extinct at the time.

**Physiological – Preening**
Empertrololeon will have an oil gland just like the emperor penguins today. This gland is called the uropygial gland and is found in a lot of birds that preens. This gland is found near the base of the tail, shaped into two symmetric parts. The Empertrololeon will preen its feathers with the compounds of diester waxes to put oil in the feather, making them water proof. The oil of the gland is secreted through the surface through a grease nipple and will be rubbed onto the feathers with its bill. The environment where it is necessary to keep yourself warm is the reason why the Empertrololeon have this gland. In the freezing Antarctica, if the feather of the animal get soaked, it can be blown frozen by the wind so it is very important for the Empertrololeon to use this gland to keep itself waterproof.

**Selection pressure**
The Empertrololeon will come to extinct when another mini ice age occurs. All the other creatures will become extinct. The Empertrololeon is very well equipped to the freezing environment, but that will not be enough for them to survive this mini ice age. The Empertrololeon, [|polar bears] and [|seals] might be the few of the last few creatures that can survive for a longer period, but the number of food will come to end and they will eventually come to extinction.

**Bibliography** Sea World //All About Fish// (n.d.) No Date Retrieved 27/6/11 from [] Paul Ward (2001) //Antarctica Global Warming Full.// Retrieved 27/6/11 from [] //Physiology of A Penguin// Retrieved 27/7/11 from []

Darrell Chan