14 DAY TRIAL // University of California researchers speaking at today's International Penguin Conference in Bristol detail how Emperor penguins manage to dive at considerable depths and remain underwater for nearly half an hour.
Apparently, this species of penguins has long been known to be able to spend up to 27 minutes underwater without feeling the need to surface and breathe in some fresh air.
However, it took researchers a considerable time to figure out how they do it.
After spending some time monitoring Emperor penguins in the Cape Washington Colony in Antarctica, researchers Alexandra Wright and Paul Ponganis found that these birds greatly lower their heart rate when underwater.
More precisely, electrocardiograms have shown that their hearts switch from beating some 70 times per minute to beating just 10 times within the same timespan, sources report.
This drop in heart rate is known to the scientific community as bradycardia, and greatly diminishes the penguins' need for oxygen, the researchers explain.
What's more, the hemoglobin present in these birds' blood is different from that of other avian species, meaning that it has no issues continuing to function at low oxygen levels.
Besides being able to lower their heart rate, Emperor penguins have surprisingly solid bones.
This significantly lowers their risk of suffering tissue damage when exposed to external pressures that differ greatly from the one of the gases inside their bodies.
Lastly, they can slow their metabolism and shut down any organ functions that are not essential for survival. This also helps up their resistance to lack of oxygen and high pressures.
Interestingly enough, these anatomical peculiarities make the Emperor penguins resemble marine mammals such as dolphins and whales much more than they resemble other avian species.
This year's International Penguin Conference in Bristol is the first to have ever been held in Europe. It takes place between September 2 – September 6.