Gentoo penguins are four separate species

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Bath reveals that gentoo penguins are actually four different species.

The researchers studied the physical and genetic differences among gentoo penguins populations across the southern hemisphere and found evidence that the penguins belong to four separate groups.

“For the first time, we’ve shown that these penguins are not only genetically distinct, but that they are also physically different too,” said study lead author Dr. Jane Younger.

“Gentoos tend to stick close to their home colonies, and over hundreds of thousands of years have become geographically isolated from each other to the point where they don’t interbreed with each other, even though they could easily swim the distance that separates them.”

The study is published in the journal Ecology & Evolution.

Video Credit: University of Bath

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer