All-Black Penguin Is One-in-a-Zillion
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How big is a zillion? It's "an extremely large, indeterminate number," according to Dictionary.com.
And how rare is an all-black penguin, rather than the black-and-white tuxedo-like colorings on most of the adorable, big, wabbly birds?
It's a one-in-a-zillion mutation, scientists say.
On a recent trip for National Geographic Traveler magazine to the continent that is the world's southern tip -- Antarctica -- Contributing Editor Andrew Evans spotted one and got pictures and video of it.
He was doing a story on getting there from Washington, D.C. mostly by bus.
Evans saw the penguin on the island of South Georgia, just off Antarctica, during the trip's last leg - a boat ride from Venezuela.
Group members disembarked on South Georgia when they saw the penguin.
The birds have no natural fear of humans, so Evans sat on the ground in front of the penguin when he captured it on camera. Other naturalists on the ship said the bird had been spotted on other trips, which means it's been around awhile.
From what Evans could see, the black penguin assimilated well with the others, and even appeared to have a black-and-white mate.
There are some partially-black penguins, about one in every quarter million, scientists say. But this is the only one known to exist that is all black.
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Copyright 2010 CBS. All rights reserved. And how rare is an all-black penguin, rather than the black-and-white tuxedo-like colorings on most of the adorable, big, wabbly birds?
It's a one-in-a-zillion mutation, scientists say.
On a recent trip for National Geographic Traveler magazine to the continent that is the world's southern tip -- Antarctica -- Contributing Editor Andrew Evans spotted one and got pictures and video of it.
He was doing a story on getting there from Washington, D.C. mostly by bus.
Evans saw the penguin on the island of South Georgia, just off Antarctica, during the trip's last leg - a boat ride from Venezuela.
Group members disembarked on South Georgia when they saw the penguin.
The birds have no natural fear of humans, so Evans sat on the ground in front of the penguin when he captured it on camera. Other naturalists on the ship said the bird had been spotted on other trips, which means it's been around awhile.
From what Evans could see, the black penguin assimilated well with the others, and even appeared to have a black-and-white mate.
There are some partially-black penguins, about one in every quarter million, scientists say. But this is the only one known to exist that is all black.
Watch CBS News Videos Online
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I watch the video so many and I can not to believe on it.
As I never believe the men step on the moon.
you honestly think a National Geographic contributing editor doctored pictures to make up a story?
/apparently in aluminum foil land without a hat
How the heck did this happen ?
Oh!, I know. Lets just say he's a Penglanashian.
It runs in the family.
Prejudice shouldn't exist but in our quest to rid ourselves of it there is one big problem... a 'National Association for the Advancement of White Penguins", a 'United White penguins college fund' a 'National White Penguin History Month'. or even a "White Penguin College Reunion Days" at Daytona would be considered an outrage whereas the flip side is considered not only acceptable but somehow 'deserved'? Prejudice is not only not not acceptable, it is never deserved. Special treatment based on gender, age, color, race .... etc. is not acceptable in our country by the basis of the values that we founded this nation on. (And that means ALL directions of bias are illegal, no matter which gender, age, color, race.. etc. would benefit)
It would fall in line with the sociological and political aspects that one day THAT PARTICULAR PENGUIN would become the leader of the penguin nation and all of our hopes would be that FINALLY! AT LAST!! PREJUDICE IS COMING TO AN END!!! Or at least... maybe we are making progress... maybe?.. please... maybe?...
But there is still that one problem.....
THAT PARTICULAR PENGUIN doesn't see Penguin nation as a whole... he still sees it as "black penguins" and 'the other penguins' which is obvious in every move he makes (including the poorly veiled "health reform act"). He is more aware of his color (not to mention his MATE!) than the majority of penguin nation that could care less.....
PREJUDICE BREEDS PREJUDICE ...
As long as he is prejudice it really doesn't matter whether I am or not.
Prejudice shouldn't exist but in our quest to rid ourselves of it there is one big problem... a 'National Association for the Advancement of White Penguins", a 'United White penguins college fund' a 'National White Penguin History Month'. or even a "White Penguin College Reunion Days" at Daytona would be considered an outrage whereas the flip side is considered not only acceptable but somehow 'deserved'? Prejudice is not only not not acceptable, it is never deserved. Special treatment based on gender, age, color, race .... etc. is not acceptable in our country by the basis of the values that we founded this nation on. (And that means ALL directions of bias are illegal, no matter which gender, age, color, race.. etc. would benefit)
It would fall in line with the sociological and political aspects that one day THAT PARTICULAR PENGUIN would become the leader of the penguin nation and all of our hopes would be that FINALLY! AT LAST!! PREJUDICE IS COMING TO AN END!!! Or at least... maybe we are making progress... maybe?.. please... maybe?...
But there is still that one problem.....
THAT PARTICULAR PENGUIN doesn't see Penguin nation as a whole... he still sees it as "black penguins" and 'the other penguins' which is obvious in every move he makes (including the poorly veiled "health reform act"). He is more aware of his color (not to mention his MATE!) than the majority of penguin nation that could care less.....
PREJUDICE BREEDS PREJUDICE ...
As long as he is prejudice it really doesn't matter whether I am or not.
===========================================
What an anthropomorphic comment.
Did they check to see if he was wearing brown shoes ?
e.g. Marvelling that a penguin would "assimilate well" with others of the same species, but with different color patterns on their bodies.
As far as I can tell, the difference (which even "color-blind" eyes could detect) has never been a factor in their relationship.
Well it's about time the National Hockey League was integrated.