A Penguin Prenup, Perhaps? Scientists Explore the Effects of Penguin Divorce

Humans, it turns out, aren’t the only species that can get divorced. Penguins can do it, too. And when they do, it can affect a whole penguin colony.

Zoologists in Australia spent 10 years studying the little penguins (Eudyptula minor) of Phillip Island. “Little penguins” is the name of the species, by the way. And it’s accurate. They’re the world’s smallest penguins. They weigh an average of only three pounds. Like other penguins, the littles choose just one mate for life. But if the relationship road gets rocky, they might try to find new partners. That can happen during a difficult breeding season.

“In good times, they largely stick with their partners,” biology professor Richard Reina said in a statement. “However, after a poor reproductive season they may try to find a new partner for the next season to increase their breeding success.”

That separation, Reina’s team found, can hurt the colony. Little penguins have a complex partner-finding process. The longer it takes them to find a new mate after a divorce, the less chance they will produce offspring during a breeding season. In fact, biologists found that penguin divorces had a greater impact on their numbers than climate change or habitat loss.

Reflect: What do you think makes a partnership strong, and what might happen when it doesn’t work out?

Gif of penguins from GIPHY.