Morphological aspects of the heart of the northern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome moseleyi): possible implication in diving behavior and ecology?
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
2000 |
Authors: |
C. M. Drabek, Y. Tremblay |
Publication/Journal: |
Polar Biology |
Keywords: |
diving behavior, diving behaviour, eudyptes chrysocome moseleyi, foraging behavior, foraging behaviour, functional morphology, heart, penguins |
Abstract:
We compared the heart morphology of the small, deep-diving northern rockhopper penguin to the hearts of small, shallow-diving and large, deep-diving penguin species. The rockhopper penguin had a heart larger than expected for its body mass, and its heart weight/body weight was significantly greater than in the larger Adélie penguin. We found the rockhopper’s right ventricle weight/heart weight to be significantly greater than this relationship in both the larger chinstrap and Adélie penguins. The relationship of the right to left ventricular weights in the rockhopper heart is not different to that of the large, deepest-diving emperor penguin. A larger heart in the rockhopper penguin might be related to its diving behavior and ecology if it contributes to diving efficiency during foraging by increasing lung perfusion during surface recovery. This would lead to decreased surface time.