Penguin Life Popular Books
Penguin Life Biography & Facts
Penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds from the family Spheniscidae () of the order Sphenisciformes (). They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is found north of the Equator. Highly adapted for life in the ocean water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage and flippers for swimming. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid and other forms of sea life which they catch with their bills and swallow whole while swimming. A penguin has a spiny tongue and powerful jaws to grip slippery prey. They spend about half of their lives on land and the other half in the sea. The largest living species is the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri): on average, adults are about 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) tall and weigh 35 kg (77 lb). The smallest penguin species is the little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor), also known as the fairy penguin, which stands around 30–33 cm (12–13 in) tall and weighs 1.2–1.3 kg (2.6–2.9 lb). Today, larger penguins generally inhabit colder regions, and smaller penguins inhabit regions with temperate or tropical climates. Some prehistoric penguin species were enormous: as tall or heavy as an adult human. There was a great diversity of species in subantarctic regions, and at least one giant species in a region around 2,000 km south of the equator 35 mya, during the Late Eocene, a climate decidedly warmer than today. Etymology The word penguin first appears in literature at the end of the 16th century as a synonym for the great auk. When European explorers discovered what are today known as penguins in the Southern Hemisphere, they noticed their similar appearance to the great auk of the Northern Hemisphere and named them after this bird, although they are not closely related. The etymology of the word penguin is still debated. The English word is not apparently of French, Breton or Spanish origin (the latter two are attributed to the French word pingouin), but first appears in English or Dutch. Some dictionaries suggest a derivation from Welsh pen, 'head' and gwyn, 'white', including the Oxford English Dictionary, the American Heritage Dictionary, the Century Dictionary and Merriam-Webster, on the basis that the name was originally applied to the great auk, either because it was found on White Head Island (Welsh: Pen Gwyn) in Newfoundland, or because it had white circles around its eyes (though the head was black). An alternative etymology links the word to Latin pinguis, which means 'fat' or 'oil'. Support for this etymology can be found in the alternative Germanic word for penguin, fettgans or 'fat-goose', and the related Dutch word vetgans. Adult male penguins are sometimes called cocks, females sometimes called hens; a group of penguins on land is a waddle, and a group of penguins in the water is a raft. Pinguinus Since 1871, the Latin word Pinguinus has been used in scientific classification to name the genus of the great auk (Pinguinus impennis, meaning "plump or fat without flight feathers"), which became extinct in the mid-19th century. As confirmed by a 2004 genetic study, the genus Pinguinus belongs in the family of the auks (Alcidae), within the order of the Charadriiformes. The birds currently known as penguins were discovered later and were so named by sailors because of their physical resemblance to the great auk. Despite this resemblance, however, they are not auks, and are not closely related to the great auk. They do not belong in the genus Pinguinus, and are not classified in the same family and order as the great auk. They were classified in 1831 by Charles Lucien Bonaparte in several distinct genera within the family Spheniscidae and order Sphenisciformes. Systematics and evolution Taxonomy The family name of Spheniscidae was given by Charles Lucien Bonaparte from the genus Spheniscus, the name of that genus comes from the Greek word σφήν sphēn "wedge" used for the shape of an African penguin's swimming flippers. Some recent sources apply the phylogenetic taxon Spheniscidae to what here is referred to as Spheniscinae. Furthermore, they restrict the phylogenetic taxon Sphenisciformes to flightless taxa, and establish the phylogenetic taxon Pansphenisciformes as equivalent to the Linnean taxon Sphenisciformes, i.e., including any flying basal "proto-penguins" to be discovered eventually. Given that neither the relationships of the penguin subfamilies to each other nor the placement of the penguins in the avian phylogeny is presently resolved, this is confusing, so the established Linnean system is followed here. Evolution The evolutionary history of penguins is well-researched and represents a showcase of evolutionary biogeography. Although penguin bones of any one species vary much in size and few good specimens are known, the alpha taxonomy of many prehistoric forms still leaves much to be desired. Some seminal articles about penguin prehistory have been published since 2005; the evolution of the living genera can be considered resolved by now. The Basal penguins lived around the time of the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event somewhere in the general area of (southern) New Zealand and Byrd Land, Antarctica. Due to plate tectonics, these areas were at that time less than 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) apart rather than the 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi) of today. The most recent common ancestor of penguins and their sister clade can be roughly dated to the Campanian–Maastrichtian boundary, around 70–68 mya. What can be said as certainly as possible in the absence of direct (i.e., fossil) evidence is that, by the end of the Cretaceous, the penguin lineage must have been evolutionarily well distinct, though much less so morphologically. Basal fossils The oldest known fossil penguin species is Waimanu manneringi, which lived in the early Paleocene epoch of New Zealand, or about 62 mya. While they were not as well-adapted to aquatic life as modern penguins, Waimanu were generally loon-like birds but already flightless, with short wings adapted for deep diving. They swam on the surface using mainly their feet, but the wings were – as opposed to most other diving birds (both living and extinct) – already adapting to underwater locomotion. Perudyptes from northern Peru was dated to 42 mya. An unnamed fossil from Argentina proves that, by the Bartonian (Middle Eocene), some 39–38 mya, primitive penguins had spread to South America and were in the process of expanding into Atlantic waters. Palaeeudyptines During the Late Eocene and the Early Oligocene (40–30 mya), some lineages of gigantic penguins existed. Nordenskjoeld's giant penguin was the tallest, growing nearly 1.80 meters (5.9 feet) tall. The New Zealand giant penguin was probably the heaviest, weighing 80 kg or more. Both were found on New Zealand, the former also in the Antarctic farther eastwards. Traditionally, most extinct species of penguins, giant or small, had been placed in the paraphyletic subfamily .... Discover the Penguin Life popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Penguin Life books.
Best Seller Penguin Life Books of 2024
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The Bhagavad Gita
Juan MascaroThe Bhagavad Gita is an intensely spiritual work that forms the cornerstone of the Hindu faith, and is also one of the masterpieces of Sanskrit poetry. It describes how, at the beg...
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Bomb Shelter
Mary Laura PhilpottA New York Times Editors’ Choice One of NPR’s Best Books of the Year“A beautifully wrought ode to life…a precious gift to the world.” The Washington PostFrom the bestselling author...
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Aries
Sally KirkmanYou are an Aries. You are the pioneer and warrior of the zodiac.The signs of the zodiac can give us great insight into our daytoday living as well as the many talents and qualities...
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The Plight of the Penguin
Lloyd Spencer DavisWinner of the New Zealand Children’s Book of the Year Award “This book is excellent, everything it should be: a scampering read, fast and funny; excellent natural history, observ...
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Penguins
Gerald L. Kooyman & Wayne LynchFlightless, iconic birds made even more famous by the 2005 film March of the Penguins, penguins conjure up images of caring parents, devoted couples, and tough survivors. In Peng...
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The Bridge of San Luis Rey
Thornton WilderThe authorized, original edition of Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prizewinning classic with a foreword by acclaimed author Russell Banks and an afterword by Wilder's nephew, Tappan Wi...
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The First Human
Ann GibbonsIn this dynamic account, awardwinning science writer Ann Gibbons chronicles an extraordinary quest to answer the most primal of questions: When and where was the dawn of humankind...
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Beautiful Ruins
Jess Walter“Why mince words? Beautiful Ruins is an absolute masterpiece.” Richard RussoThe acclaimed, awardwinning author of the national bestseller The Financial Lives of the Poets returns ...
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Freakonomics Rev Ed
Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. DubnerThe legendary bestseller that made millions look at the world in a radically different way returns in a new edition, now including an exclusive discussion between the authors and b...
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The First 20 Minutes Personal Trainer
Gretchen ReynoldsA terrific companion to Gretchen Reynolds's New York Times bestseller THE FIRST 20 MINUTES, this Penguin Special features new material and a wealth of perscriptive insigh...
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On Natural Selection
Charles DarwinThroughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselvesand each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They ha...
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The Life of Birds
David AttenboroughA fully updated new edition of David Attenborough’s bestselling classic.BIRDS. Over 9,000 species, the most widespread of all animals: on icebergs, in the Sahara or under the sea, ...
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On the Shortness of Life
Seneca & C. D. N. CostaThroughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselvesand each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They ha...
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Virgo
Sally KirkmanYou are a Virgo. You are the perfectionist and writer of the zodiac.The signs of the zodiac can give us great insight into our daytoday living as well as the many talents and quali...
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Wildhood
Barbara Natterson-Horowitz & Kathryn BowersPublishers Weekly Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2019 A New York Times Editor’s Pick People Best Books Fall 2019 Chicago Tribune 28 Books You Need to Read Now Booklist’s Top Ten Sc...
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Trilobite
Richard ForteyWith Trilobite, Richard Fortey, paleontologist and author of the acclaimed Life, offers a marvelously written, smart and compelling, accessible and witty scientific narrative of th...
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Ten Birds That Changed the World
Stephen MossFrom “a captivating storyteller” (Wall Street Journal), the natural history of humankind told through our long relationship with birds For the whole of human history, we have...
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Dancing Bears
Witold Szabłowski & Antonia Lloyd-JonesAs heard on NPR’s All Things Considered“Utterly original.” The New York Times Book Review“Mixing bold journalism with bolder allegories, Mr. Szabłowski teaches us with witty persis...
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The Consolation of Philosophy
Ancius BoethiusBoethius was an eminent public figure under the Gothic emperor Theodoric, and an exceptional Greek scholar. When he became involved in a conspiracy and was imprisoned in Pavia, it ...
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The Secrets of Happy Families
Bruce FeilerIn The Secrets of Happy Families, New York Times bestselling author Bruce Feiler has drawn up a blueprint for modern families a new approach to family dynamics, inspired by cuttin...
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Tao Te Ching
Stephen Mitchell & Lao TzuThe bestselling, widely acclaimed translation from Stephen Mitchell"Mitchell's rendition of the Tao Te Ching comes as close to being definitive for our time as any I can imagine. I...
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Native Son
Richard Wright“If one had to identify the single most influential shaping force in modern Black literary history, one would probably have to point to Wright and the publication of Native Son.” –...
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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
Frederick Douglass & Ira DworkinAn updated edition of a classic African American autobiography, with new supplementary materialsThe preeminent American slave narrative first published in 1845, Frederick Douglass’...
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Stony the Road
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.“Stony the Road presents a bracing alternative to Trumpera white nationalism. . . . In our current politics we recognize AfricanAmerican historythe spot under our country’s rug whe...
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Freakonomics
Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. DubnerThe legendary bestseller that made millions look at the world in a radically different way returns in a new edition, now including an exclusive discussion between the authors and b...
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The Epic of Gilgamesh
Anonymous & Andrew GeorgeThe ancient Sumerian poem The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest written stories in existence, translated with an introduction by Andrew George in Penguin Classics.Miraculously...
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Meditations
Marcus Aurelius & Martin Hammond'Their icy blasts are refreshing and restorative. They tell you the worst. And having heard the worst, you feel less bad' Blake MorrisonWritten in Greek by the only Roman emperor w...
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What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast
Laura VanderkamMornings are a madcap time for many of us. We wake up in a hazeoften after hitting snooze a few times. Then we rush around to get ready and out the door so we can officially start ...
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The Secret Lives of Color
Kassia St ClairOne of USA Today's “100 Books to Read While Stuck at Home During the Coronavirus Crisis” A dazzling gift, the unforgettable, unknown history of colors and the vivid ...
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Libra
Sally KirkmanYou are a Libra. You are the style ambassador and people person of the zodiac.The signs of the zodiac can give us great insight into our daytoday living as well as the many talents...
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The Penguin History of the United States of America
Hugh BroganThis new edition of Brogan's superb onevolume history from early British colonisation to the Reagan years captures an array of dynamic personalities and events. In a broad sweep...
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Lateral Thinking
Edward de Bono“This could be a very useful book for teachers and nonteachers alike. Dr. DeBono does not claim to be able to turn us all into Miltons, Davincis, and Einsteins…but his techniques p...
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Pisces
Sally KirkmanYou are a Pisces. You are the romantic dreamer and idealist of the zodiac.The signs of the zodiac can give us great insight into our daytoday living as well as the many talents and...
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Scorpio
Sally KirkmanYou are a Scorpio. You are the change agent and healer of the zodiac.The signs of the zodiac can give us great insight into our daytoday living as well as the many talents and qual...
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The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell
Aldous Huxley"A genuine spiritual quest. . . . Extraordinary." New York TimesAmong the most profound and influential explorations of mindexpanding psychedelic drugs ever written...
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Haldol and Hyacinths
Melody MoezziWith candor and humor, a manicdepressive IranianAmerican Muslim woman chronicles her experiences with both clinical and cultural bipolarity. Born to Persian parents at the hei...
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The Life of Milarepa
Tsangnyon Heruka, Andrew Quintman & Donald S. Lopez Jr.One of the most beloved stories of the Tibetan people and a great literary example of the contemplative lifeThe Life of Milarepa, a biography and a dramatic tale from a culture now...
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The Great Penguin Rescue
Dyan deNapoliON JUNE 23, 2000, the ironore carrier MV Treasure, en route from Brazil to China, foundered off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa, spilling 1,300 tons of oil into the ocean and ...
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The Bhagavad Gita
Laurie L. PattonPart of the ancient Hindu epic The Mahabharata, The Bhagavad Gita is one of the enduring religious texts of the worldThe Bhagavad Gita is an early poem that recounts the conversati...
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The Tree Where Man Was Born
Peter Matthiessen & Jane GoodallA timeless and majestic portrait of Africa by renowned writer Peter Matthiessen (19272014), author of the National Book Awardwinning The Snow Leopard and the new novel In Paradise ...
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Penguin the Magpie
Cameron Bloom & Bradley Trevor GreiveTHE INSPIRATION FOR THE NETFLIX FILM PENGUIN BLOOM“A triumph that will make your heart soar” (Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus), this true story follows a family’s j...
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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass, Peter J. Gomes & Gregory StephensFrederick Douglass's dramatic autobiographical account of his early life as a slave in America.Born into a life of bondage, Frederick Douglass secretly taught himself to read and w...
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Cup of Gold
John Steinbeck & Susan F. BeegelSteinbeck’s first novel and sole work of historical fictionthe violent, exciting story of the infamous pirate Henry MorganA Penguin ClassicFrom the mid1650s through the 1660s, Henr...
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On the Origin of Species
Charles Darwin & Natalie RammThis exciting anniversary edition has a new introduction and scholarly references by William Bynum, and the cover design is by Damien Hirst. It replaces our existing 1968 edition. ...
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Passing
Nella Larsen, Emily Bernard & Thadious M. DavisA NETFLIX BOOK CLUB PICKNella Larsen's powerful, thrilling, and tragic tale about the fluidity of racial identity that continues to resonate today. A New York Times Editors’ Choice...
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The Log from the Sea of Cortez
John Steinbeck & Richard AstroA Penguin ClassicIn the two years after the 1939 publication of Steinbeck’s masterful The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck and his novel increasingly became the center of intense controv...