march of the penguins

[Guest guest]

"March of the Penguins" Too Lovey-Dovey to Be True?

Hillary Mayell

for National Geographic News

August 19, 2005

 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0819_050819_march_penguins.html

 

Ever since Walt Disney immortalized interspecies friendships and

talking teapots, anthropomorphism (attributing human traits and

emotions to animals or objects) has been a movie staple.

 

Now some scientists are criticizing the movie March of the Penguins

for portraying the Antarctic seabirds almost as tiny, two-tone

humans.

 

The poster for the surprise hit film reads, "In the harshest place on

Earth love finds a way." And the movie describes the annual journey

of emperor penguins to their breeding grounds as a "quest to find the

perfect mate and start a family" against impossible odds.

 

The penguins are the only animals that make a home above the ice in

the subzero temperatures and blistering winds of the Antarctic

winter. They overcome incredible odds just to survive, never mind

breed and nurture new life.

 

But is it love?

 

Talking Animals

 

The filmmakers behind the English-language version of March of the

Penguins—which is distributed by Warner Independent Pictures and

National Geographic Feature Films—toned down the anthropomorphism of

the original, French release.

 

In the original documentary the penguins "spoke" their own dialogue,

like Bambi or Babe the pig. The version released in the United States

uses a narrator, actor Morgan Freeman, to tell the story.

 

Still, the film describes the emperor penguins as "not that different

from us" in their pouting, bellowing, and strutting.

 

The bond between the star penguin parents is called a "love story."

And the penguins seem to have emotions—grieving over the loss of an

egg or a chick, rejoicing at the return of a mate, loving their

families.

 

"In a few places it's a little over the top," said Alison Power,

director of communications for New York City's Bronx Zoo and the

affiliated Wildlife Conservation Society. "But I thought the

filmmakers did an excellent job in not anthropomorphizing the

animals."

 

Marine biologist Gerald Kooyman studies penguins at Antarctica's

"Penguin Ranch," and he begs to differ. He said the portrayal of the

penguins' mating rituals as a love story is a "major" case of

anthropomorphism.

 

- - - - - - - -

 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0819_050819_march_penguins_2.html

 

So do the birds experience emotions at all? "Zoologists would say,

Probably not," said Kooyman, who works for the Scripps Institution of

Oceanography. "A lot of what looks to us like love or grief is

probably hormonally driven more than some kind of attachment" to the

egg, chick, or partner, he said.

 

For instance, there are several scenes in the film when a parent

seems to grieve over a broken egg doomed never to hatch, or appears

to mourn over the body of its frozen chick.

 

"The adult would not recognize the chick after it's frozen," Kooyman

said. "The main recognition between the adults and chick is the call.

If a chick can't call back, the adult won't pay any attention to it."

 

Instinct, hormones, and the drive to reproduce influence a lot of the

penguin behavior, Kooyman said.

 

"What gives the impression sometimes of sorrow is that they fool

around with the [broken or frozen] egg, or other birds try to take an

egg away," Kooyman said. "There's just a drive to incubate, to

participate in breeding behavior at that time of year for these

birds."

 

The film also shows multiple shots of two adult penguins cuddling

side by side, their beaks touching and forming almost a heart shape.

It looks like love, but is it?

 

Despite the beautiful imagery, it's not certain that each posturing

pair is actually a mated pair.

 

"If it's in August or September, the two are probably mates," Kooyman

said. "In April it could easily be two birds that get together and

then decide that they wouldn't make good partners.

 

"You also see such posturing at the ice's edge. There's a lot of

social behavior between adults," he added.

 

Temporary Families

 

Unlike nesting birds, penguin parents actually spend very little time

together.

 

The penguins make the grueling journey across some 70 miles (110

kilometers) of Antarctic ice each April to return to the breeding

grounds where they were born. After the courtship period, the couple

forms a strong bond until the egg is laid in May or early June.

 

However, as soon as the egg is transferred to the father, the mother

takes off to return to her feeding grounds. She returns some two

months later. The starving male, who hasn't had a meal in months,

immediately leaves.

 

The two trade off rearing their fish and returning to the sea to feed

for about five months, until the chick is old enough to be left on

its own. After that point the parents will probably never see each

other—or their offspring—again.

 

"In a way, the film anthropomorphized the lives of the penguins, but

I think it's OK," Kooyman said. "Simplifying some aspects of the

penguins' life story makes it more accessible to the general public."

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

penguins rear fish? i never knew

hee hee

 

 

The two trade off rearing their fish and returning to the sea to feed

for about five months, until the chick is old enough to be left on

its own. After that point the parents will probably never see each

otheror their offspringagain.

 

 

and, saying birds don't have emotions/feelings...obviously that person has never seen wot happens when a parrot loses its mate....

 

a blinding flash hotter than the sun dead bodies lie across the path the radiation colors the air

finishing one by one

[Guest guest]

Oh bull pucky! I am sooooo sick of the human superior attitude! Some bunch of nerds who can't get a real job sit around and decide who does or doesn't do what or feel what.

 

They also say that horses can't see colors. Rot! Excellent example is an Appaloosa mare we rescued (Sissy Bars, known up and down the state as 'Crazy Horse'). She "loved," yes loved being a star. Loved having people pay attention to her. She loved competing against other horses and actually strutted into the ring when she won a ribbon. She also absolutely hated red, white and blue barrels (barrel racing) or red, white and green barrels. They could be blue and white or all blue or all green or all red or red and white or green and white or blue and red or blue and green or red and green or red, green and blue or blue, green and white. She was not come within feet of the red, white and blue or green combination barrels. Didn't make any difference what order they were in.

 

We rescued and Arab stallion. He absolutely got totally tickled with himself when he terrorized, YES, TERRORIZED, the woman we got him from! The louder she screamed when he faked attacking her, the better he liked it! He would dance around and wave his head around and carry his tail like a flag as he showed off. He would run straight at her, ears back and teeth bared! He'd stop just inches from her. His intent was clear and she was the only one he did this to, the person who starved and teased him.

 

I could go on and on about various critters, some who laid down a died after the lost of a mate or off-spring, or pined away.

 

A cat that disappeared and then found us again two years later, after we had moved from one ranch (Windsor) to another (Cotati) and then back again to another ranch that was 5 miles away from the first ranch where she disappeared. And, yes, it was the same cat. She was another rescue from a purebred cat kennel (the owner died) and she had a tatoo in her ear.

 

Where do humans think they are the only critters capable of thinking or feeling?

 

Lynda

 

-

zurumato

veganchat

Friday, August 26, 2005 2:26 PM

march of the penguins

 

 

 

 

"March of the Penguins" Too Lovey-Dovey to Be True?

Hillary Mayell

for National Geographic News

August 19, 2005

 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0819_050819_march_penguins.html

 

Ever since Walt Disney immortalized interspecies friendships and

talking teapots, anthropomorphism (attributing human traits and

emotions to animals or objects) has been a movie staple.

 

Now some scientists are criticizing the movie March of the Penguins

for portraying the Antarctic seabirds almost as tiny, two-tone

humans.

 

The poster for the surprise hit film reads, "In the harshest place on

Earth love finds a way." And the movie describes the annual journey

of emperor penguins to their breeding grounds as a "quest to find the

perfect mate and start a family" against impossible odds.

 

The penguins are the only animals that make a home above the ice in

the subzero temperatures and blistering winds of the Antarctic

winter. They overcome incredible odds just to survive, never mind

breed and nurture new life.

 

But is it love?

 

Talking Animals

 

The filmmakers behind the English-language version of March of the

Penguins—which is distributed by Warner Independent Pictures and

National Geographic Feature Films—toned down the anthropomorphism of

the original, French release.

 

In the original documentary the penguins "spoke" their own dialogue,

like Bambi or Babe the pig. The version released in the United States

uses a narrator, actor Morgan Freeman, to tell the story.

 

Still, the film describes the emperor penguins as "not that different

from us" in their pouting, bellowing, and strutting.

 

The bond between the star penguin parents is called a "love story."

And the penguins seem to have emotions—grieving over the loss of an

egg or a chick, rejoicing at the return of a mate, loving their

families.

 

"In a few places it's a little over the top," said Alison Power,

director of communications for New York City's Bronx Zoo and the

affiliated Wildlife Conservation Society. "But I thought the

filmmakers did an excellent job in not anthropomorphizing the

animals."

 

Marine biologist Gerald Kooyman studies penguins at Antarctica's

"Penguin Ranch," and he begs to differ. He said the portrayal of the

penguins' mating rituals as a love story is a "major" case of

anthropomorphism.

 

- - - - - - - -

 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0819_050819_march_penguins_2.html

 

So do the birds experience emotions at all? "Zoologists would say,

Probably not," said Kooyman, who works for the Scripps Institution of

Oceanography. "A lot of what looks to us like love or grief is

probably hormonally driven more than some kind of attachment" to the

egg, chick, or partner, he said.

 

For instance, there are several scenes in the film when a parent

seems to grieve over a broken egg doomed never to hatch, or appears

to mourn over the body of its frozen chick.

 

"The adult would not recognize the chick after it's frozen," Kooyman

said. "The main recognition between the adults and chick is the call.

If a chick can't call back, the adult won't pay any attention to it."

 

Instinct, hormones, and the drive to reproduce influence a lot of the

penguin behavior, Kooyman said.

 

"What gives the impression sometimes of sorrow is that they fool

around with the [broken or frozen] egg, or other birds try to take an

egg away," Kooyman said. "There's just a drive to incubate, to

participate in breeding behavior at that time of year for these

birds."

 

The film also shows multiple shots of two adult penguins cuddling

side by side, their beaks touching and forming almost a heart shape.

It looks like love, but is it?

 

Despite the beautiful imagery, it's not certain that each posturing

pair is actually a mated pair.

 

"If it's in August or September, the two are probably mates," Kooyman

said. "In April it could easily be two birds that get together and

then decide that they wouldn't make good partners.

 

"You also see such posturing at the ice's edge. There's a lot of

social behavior between adults," he added.

 

Temporary Families

 

Unlike nesting birds, penguin parents actually spend very little time

together.

 

The penguins make the grueling journey across some 70 miles (110

kilometers) of Antarctic ice each April to return to the breeding

grounds where they were born. After the courtship period, the couple

forms a strong bond until the egg is laid in May or early June.

 

However, as soon as the egg is transferred to the father, the mother

takes off to return to her feeding grounds. She returns some two

months later. The starving male, who hasn't had a meal in months,

immediately leaves.

 

The two trade off rearing their fish and returning to the sea to feed

for about five months, until the chick is old enough to be left on

its own. After that point the parents will probably never see each

other—or their offspring—again.

 

"In a way, the film anthropomorphized the lives of the penguins, but

I think it's OK," Kooyman said. "Simplifying some aspects of the

penguins' life story makes it more accessible to the general public."