Chinese scientists say penguins stopped flying and became great swimmers long before polar ice sheets formed | South China Morning Post

Penguins lost their ability to fly more than 60 million years ago, long before polar ice sheets formed, an international study has found. The seabirds became capable of wing-propelled diving in the ocean, which became their major food source, according to joint lead author of the study, Zhou Chengran, of Shenzhen-based BGI-Research. "Penguins in the South Pole do not face land predators, like polar bears in the North Pole. Not being able to fly does not increase their risk of being preyed on," she said. "Penguins' wings are similar to fish fins and unlike the foldable wings of other water…