Can Penguins Evolve to Fly in the Future?

[Pattielli]

Someone now says that the penguins can fly because they will have developed to a level that their wings are larger than now, they have many feathers, and so, flying is possible...

Would you please tell me if that guy is correct or just crazie ?

Thank you,

>>> This should sound like a joke (lol) but this is what I read from a book about evolution, and I really need some your ideas about this <<<
Please help me...

 

[selfAdjoint]

That could happen, or alternatively they could evolve more in the swimming direction. Present day penguins are the avian analog of seals, which breed on land but swim in the sea to feed. Suppose some thread of penguins evolved to be analogous to whales. Huge and always underwater. It's just as likely as the other.

Bottom line: all these could have wouldas are pure speculation. We can't predict what effects a billion years of evolution will have.

 

[Pattielli]

Thank you,

 

[killerinstinct]

COULD HAPPEN, but based on my instincts (killerinstincts), currently, i think the man is crazy.

 

[Monique]

The thing with evolution is that things don't JUST happen, there must be evolutionary pressure for a trait to develop. Why would a pinguin start flying? The pinguin uses its wings for swimming, they are highly developed in order to catch fish and flee from whales.

 

[Pattielli]

But i mean billions of years later, not tommorrow though...

thank everyone,


>>>> Monique, I couldn't see your avatar anymore, it is a good thing to hide it because your avatar is so large, and there is only your face people see when reading your posts... :smile

 

[Phobos]

In billions of years, there won't be life on Earth (due to the sun's "death"). But these speculations are an open question in terms of millions of years. Odds are, in millions of years, penguins will look very different (if they are still around). But we cannot predict future evolution to any significant extent.

 

[thunderfvck]

In billions of years, you will all be dead, except for me. I will sit atop the world in my throne of bone, gripping my mighty staff of power. All lifeforms will bow before me as I direct their evolutionary development. I will spit on all penguins and serve them as dinner to my pet elephant-whale, whose body will be so massive, and so bizzare, the meer sight of one would destroy any human in his tracks. There will be ceremonies for me, everyday will be Sean-day (yes, that is my name, learn it well) and me and my animal friends will consume nothing but human and good wine.

Pray that I find you attractive enough to spare.


Monique, I think it goes without saying...