国际研究团队通过全基因组测序发现，原本被认为属于同一物种的绅士企鹅实际上由四个独立物种组成1。其中，克格伦群岛的绅士企鹅（Pygoscelis kerguelensis）是首次被正式认可的新物种，标志着超过100年来首个新企鹅物种的发现1。这项研究基于来自10个繁殖地的64只企鹅的全基因组序列样本1。
四个物种分别为东部绅士企鹅（Pygoscelis taeniata）、北部绅士企鹅（Pygoscelis papua）、克格伦绅士企鹅（Pygoscelis kerguelensis）和南部绅士企鹅（Pygoscelis ellsworthi），这些物种的分化时间约为过去30-50万年1。值得注意的是，南极绅士企鹅在食物选择上比帝企鹅和阿德利企鹅更具灵活性，其种群数量目前呈增加趋势1。
气候变化为这些新识别的物种带来挑战。气候模型预测显示，到2050年前，岛屿上的亚南极物种可能在现有岛屿上完全失去适宜栖息地1。与此同时，南部绅士企鹅因其较强的适应能力，其适宜生活范围预计将延伸到南极大陆内部1。
An international research team has identified what was previously thought to be a single penguin species as four distinct species, marking the first recognition of a new penguin species in over a century.1 Through whole-genome sequencing of 64 penguins sampled from 10 breeding sites, researchers determined that the gentoo penguin consists of four independent species: the eastern gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis taeniata), the northern gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua), the southeastern gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis kerguelensis), and the southern gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis ellsworthi).1 The four species diverged approximately 300,000 to 500,000 years ago.1
The newly recognized species inhabiting the Kerguelen Islands represents a significant taxonomic discovery for the international scientific community.1 The research reveals that these penguin species face mounting environmental pressures as climate change accelerates.1 Climate models project that by 2050, sub-Antarctic species on islands may lose all suitable habitat on their current islands, though the southern gentoo penguin may adapt more effectively with its suitable range potentially extending into the Antarctic continent's interior.1 In contrast to emperor and Adelie penguins, the Antarctic gentoo penguin demonstrates greater dietary flexibility and currently shows increasing population numbers.1
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