What happens to the penguin couples when they separate after their children are grown?
Do they find other mates, or are their mating days over and they simply "retire"?
After all that nourishing and protecting, I find it amazing that they don't have the desire to ever see their children again.
I don't think animals work that way, other than for us humans. Remember, to a great extent, humans rely on close relationships and network to survive. It's no coincidence that we group together and form societies.
Penguins, on the other hand, do not rely on close relationships for survival, other than when they breed. Yes, they rely on the company of others for warmth and security, but once the chick has grown big enough to make it on its own (together with the other grown chicks), there is no need for the parents. I know I'm approaching a touchy subject here, but I honestly don't think there are any emotional ties between the penguin parents and the chicks. Why should there be? What is the evolutionary purpose of emotions if you can reproduce without it?
humans can be isolated and still survive. Look at the thousands of inmates in solitary confinement
shareYes, of course we can survive. But solitary confinement is a PUNISHMENT because it goes against our nature.
Why can't a heterosexual guy
Tell a heterosexual guy
That he thinks his booty is fly?
As far as I know, they are 'serially monogamous', i.e. they form a moonogamous pair for the breeding season. Then after their chick is born and grows up, and moves to the water, they lose all contact. A year later they do the march again and go back to the breeding ground and find another pair and do it all again.
Now a few things strike me here. Firstly they admit in the movie when the penguins are at the breeding ground and milling around looking for mate, they don't know what they are looking for. So isn't it a strong possbility that a mating pair might meet the next year and continue their partnership? They only shot the movie over 1 year.
Another thing. They think the adult penguins lose all contact with the chick after the chicks makes its way down to the ocean. However they don't know that much about the life of the penguins in the ocean, as I understand it. It wouldn't be the first time that they've just 'assumed' that there was no further contact between parents and offspring, only to find out later that there was. (Think of the Nile Crocodile.)
This is very true - actually, this would be something to look into.
"MADE OF ALL FEET!"
Apparently they do sometimes pair up with the same mate again, though it's relatively uncommon:
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Apteno dytes_forsteri.html
I guess they could find their offspring again in later life, if the offspring could remember the sound of its parents' voices. I can't see what kind of advantage that behaviour would give them as a species tbh.
well, the advantage for offspring to remember their parent's voice (and vice versa)even after months of separation is quite important to avoid inbreeding. because these animals keep meeting at the same small breeding spot year after year, there is need for some way of telling their kin apart. in other animal comunities (i was thinking of lions) it's irrelevant if kids remember their parents or not, cuz the young move away from the family's territory, and it's unlikely that they'll meet again.
i'm not saying that penguins DO remember their parents' (and children and mates) callings, i'm just saying it's plausible.