Latin name: Pygoscelis adeliae

Brief introduction: The Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) is an iconic penguin of moderate stature and a tuxedo of black and white feathers. The penguins are only found in the Antarctic region and surrounding islands. Being very sensitive to climate change, and due to changes in their behavior based on minor shifts in climate, they are often used as a barometer of the Antarctic health. With its status as one of the adorable and cuddly flightless birds of Antarctica, they serve as an example for conservation, and as a result they are now categorized at low risk for endangerment.

Related papers:
Zhang et al., Comparative Genomics Reveals Insights into Avian Genome Evolution and Adaptation. Science, (2014).
Jarvis et al., Whole Genome Analyses Resolve Early Branches in the Tree of Life of Modern Birds. Science, (2014).
Li et al., Two Antarctic penguin genomes reveal insights into their evolutionary history and molecular changes related to the Antarctic environment. GigaScience, (2014).