Lessons from Adapting Penguins: Protecting Antarctic Colonies from Bird Flu.

As global warming changes the survival-of-the-fittest game in Antarctica, one particular species of penguin, the gentoo, is modeling a poignant lesson for humanity: adapt or die. While Adélie and chinstrap penguins remain stuck in their ancient ways, the much more flexible gentoo penguins are ranging further and further south. As they show willingness to chase new prey or abandon a nest to increase the odds of long-term survival, their numbers are exploding. The gentoos are an example of what humans in the world of terrifying UN climate reports call the “hard” and “soft” limits of adaptation.