In New Zealand fossil finds of great importance have been brought to light: these are enormous fossil bones of some specimens of penguins, the largest ever to exist.
Scientists discovered these fossils in beach boulders about 57 million years old North Otagoon the South Island of New Zealand.
They also used laser scanners to create digital models of the bones and compare them with other fossil species, including diving birds such as penguins as we know them today.
An international team took part in the research, including researchers fromUniversity of Cambridge and the results were published in Journal of Paleontology.
Many early fossil penguins apparently reached sizes far larger than penguins alive today.
The new species discovered, Kumimanu fordyceiis the largest fossil penguin ever discovered and reaches a weight of around 150 kilograms.
The name was given in honor of Dr. R. Ewan FordyceiProfessor Emeritus at the University of Otago.
Remains of a second nicknamed species were then found Petradyptes Stonehouseiwith a weight lower than Fordycei but still higher than that of the emperor penguin, around 50 kilograms.
Here too the name honors the deceased Dr. Stonehouse who was the first to observe the entire reproductive cycle of an emperor penguin.
The two species just described demonstrate how the evolutionary history of penguins has been influenced by different factors.
For example, both species retained similar primitive features such as thinner fin bones and muscles that resembled those of birds in flight.
Experts hypothesized that penguins’ greater weight and size made them significantly more efficient animals in the water.
In fact, having larger dimensions, they not only managed to capture equally large prey but also maintained their body temperature even in the coldest waters.
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Sources: Cambridge University / Journal of Paleontology
