Auk

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/auk

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Alcidae
2. What is the ecological role?Significant predators influencing prey populations and indicators of marine ecosystem health
3. What makes auks look like penguins even though they live in the north?Auks look like penguins because they both evolved to swim well, but they are not closely related.
4. How do auks swim fast in the water?Auks swim fast because their short, stiff wings work like hydrofoils, and their bodies are streamlined with dense bones that help them control buoyancy.

Convergent Evolution: The independent evolution of similar features in species of different lineages.
Piscivorous: Feeding primarily on fish.
Pelagic: Relating to or living in the open sea, far from land.
Trophic Dynamics: The study of the feeding interactions between organisms in an ecosystem.