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Penguins are not actually the symbol of eternal love as many people often think. Scientists have discovered that a group of little penguins (Eudyptula minor), the world's smallest penguin species, on Phillip Island, Australia, have a divorce rate much higher than humans, according to Science Alert on February 1st. The new research was published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.
Over 12 breeding seasons, scientists from Monash University counted nearly 250 divorces among a group of almost 1,000 penguin pairs. This means about 21 divorces happened each year between 2000 and 2013. In comparison, the annual divorce rate for humans in the United States is around 2.4 per 1,000 couples, which is almost 10 times lower than these penguins.
In the study, a divorce was recorded when a tagged penguin from the previous breeding season came back with a new mate. The little penguin population on Phillip Island consists of more than 37,000 birds, but according to the research team, their sample size provides a good indication of the situation on a larger scale.
The decision to leave or stay in a relationship for penguins usually depends on their offspring. "During good times, they typically stay with the same partner, although there might be some cheating behavior. However, after a poor breeding season, they may look for new mates in the next season to increase their chances of successful reproduction," explains Richard Reina, an ecologist at Monash University.
Little penguins are not the only species that break human illusions about faithfulness in nature. For example, Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) and Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) sometimes show extra-pair behavior even when they are already paired, which means they are not really sexually faithful. A study from 1999 showed that only 15% of Emperor penguins stayed with the same partner during consecutive breeding seasons.
Divorce can be a sign of tough times, but it's not always a bad choice. In some cases, it becomes a necessary risk, especially after a failed breeding season. Scientists believe this behavior helps penguins adapt to changing conditions and maintain healthy populations in their colonies.
"Divorce can be a helpful way to increase successful breeding in the long term, especially when previous breeding success was low, when a better quality mate becomes available, or when environmental events prevent or delay re-pairing," explains marine scientist Andre Chiaradia from Monash University, one of the authors of the new study.
The challenge here is weighing short-term risks against long-term benefits. The research team points out that these new findings highlight the importance of considering social dynamics when it comes to animal conservation.
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Source: vnexpress.net / 2-Feb-2025 / https://vnexpress.net/chim-canh-cut-ly-hon-nhieu-hon-con-nguoi-4845019.html
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