Penguins cannot self-replicate, but thanks to researchers developing a clearer understanding of penguin genetics, scientists now believe they’ve split one gentoo penguin species into four separate species living around Antarctica , along with one totally new type of penguin.

According to a new study published in the journal Current Biology , researchers argue that scientists have been miscounting gentoo penguins for decades. What was once considered a single species spread across Antarctica and surrounding islands may actually be four genetically distinct species that have been influenced by a variety of factors like geography, isolation, and adaptation to the Earth’s changing climate.

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The vast majority of humans on Earth may not have been aware that, for some time, gentoo penguin taxonomy has been debated among marine biologists.…