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Created: 2013-01-29
Updated: 2013-01-29

Feathers protect from water: Gentoo penguin


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Slide_show_arrows  1 of 2 A Penguin swimming / Matt Browne / LicenseCC-by-nd - Attribution No Derivatives

The feathers of penguins prevent water from penetrating to the skin due to their stiff, tightly packed structure.

Biomimicry Taxonomy
 
Taxonomy_1 Maintain physical integrity >
Taxonomy_2 Protect from abiotic factors >
Taxonomy_3 Excess liquids
Biomimetic Application Ideas
 
  • Waterproof textiles
  • Lightweight waterpoof panels for canoes, small boats, and other watercraft
  • Insulating mats for ponds

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[Collapse all sections] Summary
"The penguins (below) lost the power of flight some 100 million years ago, and have no flight feathers on their wings. Their stiff close-packed feathers form a thick insulating mat that is impervious to water and provides a good streamlined surface for swimming." (Foy and Oxford Scientific Films 1982:111)


"Several studies have investigated the thermal resistance of penguin 'coats' (feather and skin assembly) and found it to be surprisingly low—an average of 0.74 m2KW-1 or 7.4 Tog. Penguin feathers are heavily modified, being short (30-40 mm), stiff and lance shaped. Insulation is provided by a long (20-30 mm) afterfeather. Penguins are unique in that the feathers are evenly packed over the surface of the body (30-40 per cm2) rather than arranged in tracts. For insulation the penguin requires a thick, air-filled, windproof coat (similar to an open-cell foam covered with a windproof layer) that eliminates convection and reduces radiative and convective heat losses to a minimum. However, when diving, the penguin requires a thin, smooth and waterproof coat with no trapped air (positive buoyancy would be a big disadvantage to an active swimming hunter). It achieves this by using muscles attached to the shaft of the feather to 'lock down' the feathers to create a water-tight barrier. In addition, the feather rachis is flattened dorso-ventrally allowing it to bend and conform to the body shape readily with increasing water pressure." (Dawson et al. 1999:199)
About the inspiring organism
Threat Categories LONG_NT Gentoo Penguin
Pygoscelis papua (J. R. Forster, 1781)

IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened
Habitat(s): Marine Coastal/Supratidal

Some organism data provided by: ITIS: The Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Organism/taxonomy data provided by:
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist
Bioinspired products and application ideas

Application Ideas: Insulating mats for ponds; waterproof textiles; lightweight waterpoof panels for canoes, small boats, and other watercraft.

Industrial Sector(s) interested in this strategy: Water storage, textiles, boats

References
Foy, Sally; Oxford Scientific Films. 1982. The Grand Design: Form and Colour in Animals. Lingfield, Surrey, U.K.: BLA Publishing Limited for J.M.Dent & Sons Ltd, Aldine House, London. 238 p.
Google>>  Scirus>>

Dawson C; Vincent JFV; Jeronimides G; Rice G; Forshaw P. 1999. Heat transfer through penguin feathers. Journal of Theoretical Biology. 199: 291-295.
Google>>  Scirus>>

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