Do penguins come from Oz? Yes, they didgeridoo!

WE normally picture them trudging across the frozen terrain of Antarctica.

But penguins may have originated 22million years ago in the far warmer waters of southern Australia and New Zealand, a study suggests.

An international team of researchers, including the University of California, Berkeley, used genetic sequencing to study 18 species. It concluded that penguins did not originate in Antarctica but from areas with a maximum sea surface temperature of 9C (48F).

They diversified over millions of years to occupy colder and warmer waters.

The emperor and king penguins in the Antarctic may have evolved latest of all to adapt to the most harsh environment on Earth, with temperatures of -40C (-40F).

The theory may also explain why Galapagos penguins can cope with temperatures of up to 40C (104F) on the Equator, showing a greater tolerance of heat than their sister species, the Humboldt penguins of Chile and Peru.

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, analysed 22 complete genetic sequences from penguins.

It suggests that penguins, the only living family of flightless diving birds, developed genetic variations allowing them to regulate their body temperature and dive to greater depths. This may have helped them colonise both Antarctica and the tropics but experts fear it leaves them particularly vulnerable to climate change.