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So, I was reading about the Colossus Penguin and was wondering how adding them to my world might affect the arctic ecosystem in my world? Obviously, they would need to eat a lot of fish, squid, and krill but how much more would they need to consume than an Emperor Penguin? Also, would they affect the sizes of sharks and seals? I read that another species of giant penguin in our world the Kumimanu started dying out with the rise of killer whales and seals.

So, how would a species of giant penguins effect both the population of the krill, fish, and squid they eat, as well as the animals that prey on the giant penguins?

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    $\begingroup$ In Arctic, these penguins would provide a valuable food source for polar bears, until they last. $\endgroup$
    – Alexander
    Aug 11, 2018 at 4:32
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    $\begingroup$ How many are we talking about? A single, isolated colony of 20 will have next to zero effect, while a new colony of 2m+ will be hugely significant. $\endgroup$
    – Dubukay
    Aug 11, 2018 at 6:32
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    $\begingroup$ I think the answer to your question can be simplified by coming up with a formula. You need to determine the size of your penguin, the population of them, how much they eat and compare it to the estimated population of their food sources and reproduction rates. Just a lot of googling but I think that should answer most of your question. $\endgroup$
    – NuWin
    Aug 11, 2018 at 8:46
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    $\begingroup$ @NuWin are there any programs that could help determine the formula? Or would the growth formula for K-species work for this? $\endgroup$
    – yukimoda
    Aug 11, 2018 at 17:03
  • $\begingroup$ @yukimoda - I originally read your statement as asking if there are any penguins that could help determine the formula... Sure, we should get their input too :) $\endgroup$
    – Megha
    Aug 13, 2018 at 2:37

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Well it wouldn't change much for orcs and big sharks as they can almost swallow an emperor penguin but probably the seals would be bigger. As they have much more inertia than emperors they would have more difficulty to turn and escape so they would be easily preyed by others. They would also eat much more krill etc so those populations will have much more variation look at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotka%E2%80%93Volterra_equations and the populations of all the other species eating krill and fish like fish, whales birds and other penguin will decrease. Eventually they will just disappear because too easy to prey.

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There's scientific research about how a giant something would be weak in comparison to it's own body's mass, in which then they'd fall down. Since penguins waddle, suggesting their instability, they are likely to fall down, and since they may still be able to move prone, due to their slipperiness, they are likely to follow instinct and move towards water, when then, since they are too weak to swim, they drown. They can also drown by being too heavy for the ice, then they also drown.

So here's the answer, the giant penguins will do nothing of impact, as they all drown. Though it may be possible that there will be some giant penguins eaten before drowning, it won't affect the Antarctic ecosystem enough to make an impact.

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  • $\begingroup$ Colossus don't mean 10m high but more like 2, those penguin actually existed just Google it $\endgroup$
    – Jean-Abdel
    Aug 11, 2018 at 11:56

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