Penguin muscle map reveals how waddles and underwater 'flight' both work

Penguins may look charmingly awkward on land, but new research shows their bodies are finely tuned for powerful, efficient movement both on land and underwater. A team of anatomists from Midwestern University, in collaboration with SeaWorld San Diego and Scarlet Imaging, has published a detailed study of the limb musculature of the macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus), uncovering previously unknown features that help explain how these birds swim, dive, and even stand upright.