How many species of auks exist today?
The family Alcidae contains 25 extant or recently extinct species classified into 11 genera. Living species include murres, guillemots, auklets, puffins, and murrelets.
Questions about Auk
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Can auks fly or are they like penguins?
All living auks can fly, unlike penguins. The extinct great auk (Pinguinus impennis) was the one flightless member of the family. Auks are considered an example of moderate convergent evolution with penguins, not close relatives.
How deep can auks dive?
Uria guillemots have been recorded diving to 100 metres using time-depth recorder data. Cepphus guillemots reach approximately 40 metres, and auklets go down to about 30 metres.
When did the great auk go extinct?
The great auk (Pinguinus impennis) was recorded as extinct around 1852. It was the only flightless species in the auk family and was far larger than its surviving relatives.
Where did auks originally evolve?
Fossil and genetic evidence points to a Pacific Ocean origin. Miocene fossils have been found in both California and Maryland, but the Pacific shows greater fossil diversity and an earlier appearance of living genera. The Atlantic once held many more species, but most have since gone extinct.
Why are auks called different names in Europe and North America?
Naming traditions developed independently on each side of the Atlantic. The two species called murres in North America are known as guillemots in Europe, while the bird called the little auk in Europe is called the dovekie in North America. The word auk itself derives from Icelandic alka and Norwegian alka, rooted in Old Norse and Proto-Germanic.