What specific adaptation do King penguins have for managing intense sunlight?
Answer
Their pupil can constrict to a tiny square shape.
King penguins display a remarkable visual adaptation related to managing light intensity, particularly during bright conditions. While their eyes are generally tuned for underwater vision requiring spherical lenses and flattened corneas, they have evolved the capacity for their pupils to drastically change shape. In conditions of very bright sunlight, the pupil constricts severely down to a small, square shape. This constriction limits the amount of light entering the eye, protecting the sensitive structures, and contrasting sharply with its ability to expand up to 300 times in low light to maximize photon capture during deep dives.
Related Questions
What physical advantage does the Emperor penguin's sheer bulk provide in cold climates?How do penguin flippers generate underwater propulsion compared to flying birds?What mechanism allows penguins to drink seawater efficiently?What does the term fusiform describe regarding the penguin's body shape?What specific adaptation do King penguins have for managing intense sunlight?What characteristic defines the Banded Group (*Spheniscus*) of penguins?Why are penguin legs set far back on their body in terms of terrestrial motion?Which structural adaptation aids Antarctic penguins like the Adélie in preventing freezing in extremities?What feature equips the inside of a penguin's mouth to secure slippery prey?What is the primary purpose of the uropygial gland secretion during penguin preening?