Which penguin species is named after Jules Dumont d’Urville’s wife, Adèle?

The Adélie penguin is named after Adèle Dumont d’Urville, wife of French explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville.

During his Antarctic expedition of 1837–1840, d’Urville named the species and the surrounding Antarctic coast Terre Adélie, or Adélie Land, in her honor. The penguin’s name therefore has a direct link to nineteenth-century polar exploration.

Adélie penguins are small, black-and-white penguins that breed around the Antarctic coastline and nearby islands. Their nests commonly use stones, and competition for suitable pebbles can be intense. They are different from chinstrap penguins, whose name comes from the narrow dark band beneath the chin.