Article

2012-02-29 -Short Attention Span Theater-

Fossils Show Huge Penguin once Roamed New Zealand

[An Nahar] Fossilized remains of one of the largest penguins ever, an "elegant" giant standing 1.3 meters (52 inches) tall, have been found in New Zealand, scientists said Tuesday.

The penguin lived 27-24 million years ago, when New Zealand was mostly underwater and consisted of isolated, rocky outcrops that offered protection from predators and plentiful food supplies, researchers said.

The first traces of the penguin, dubbed Kairuku -- Maori for diver who returns with food -- was found embedded in a cliff at Waimate in the South Island by University of Otago paleontologist professor Ewen Fordyce in 1977.

Over the years, Fordyce discovered more complete remains and invited University of North Carolina specialist Dan Ksepka to help reconstruct the lost giant in 2009.

They determined the bird was much larger than the biggest modern penguin, the Emperor, which grows up to 1.0-metres, and weighed in at 60 kilograms (132 pounds), twice as much as the Emperor.

"Kairuku was an elegant bird by penguin standards, with a slender body and long flippers, but short, thick legs and feet," Ksepka said.

Fordyce said the bird's large size was an adaption that allowed it to swim further and dive deeper than its modern-day counterparts.

He was unsure why it became extinct, suggesting climate change or increased predation from dolphins and seals as possible reasons for its demise.

Or maybe it was because it dived into a cliff...

The findings were published in the latest edition of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

In 2010 scientists reported finding a fossilized specimen from 36 million years ago estimated to have been 1.5 meters tall.

Posted by Steve White 2012-02-29 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11130 views ] Top

#1 Or maybe it didn't become extinct at all, maybe the Emperor is an adaptation of that penguin where they have evolved to become slightly smaller in the harsher environment of Antarctica.

A New Zealand penguin could feed all year round and wouldn't have to nearly starve through the winter as the Emperors do.

Posted by crosspatch 2012-02-29 00:59|| 2012-02-29 00:59|| Front Page Top

#2 pity the NZ archaeologists don't trumpet the red haired tall European skeletons they find, instead of destroying them (older than the Maurois bu hundreds of years, see ATS.com for details)

Posted by pikestaff 2012-02-29 05:44|| 2012-02-29 05:44|| Front Page Top

#3 ...This is a Python sketch, isn't it?

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2012-02-29 05:47|| 2012-02-29 05:47|| Front Page Top

#4 Oh, no! It's the dreaded SS KIller Penguins. Is the Orcish Revolutionary Council next?

Posted by Eric Jablow 2012-02-29 07:20|| 2012-02-29 07:20|| Front Page Top

#5 Dartmoor ponies, Jackass Penguins.... fairly common I'd say.

Posted by Besoeker 2012-02-29 07:26|| 2012-02-29 07:26|| Front Page Top

#6 As the Ice Age dragged on, Mammoths became smaller too as food became harder and harder to find.

If there isn't much nutrition in the area's diet, smaller individuals will survive better as they require less and those that are larger starve to death. Do this for a few generations and everyone is smaller.

Posted by Mullah Richard 2012-02-29 08:15|| 2012-02-29 08:15|| Front Page Top

#7 An electric penguin, 20 feet tall with long green tentacles ...

Posted by Spot 2012-02-29 08:37|| 2012-02-29 08:37|| Front Page Top

#8 Hell, I'm even taller than 1.3 meters. (barely)

Posted by Penguin 2012-02-29 08:55|| 2012-02-29 08:55|| Front Page Top

#9 Climate change... Gosh darn the end of that recent Ice Age! If only everything had stayed freezing cold forever there would be lots of giant penguins and no annoying humans -- sigh. (/sarc)

Posted by Scooter McGruder 2012-02-29 11:51|| 2012-02-29 11:51|| Front Page Top

#10 Tennessee Tuxedo was unavailable for comment ...

Posted by Adriane 2012-02-29 13:51|| 2012-02-29 13:51|| Front Page Top

#11 Chumlee, now working at Pawn Stars, was trying to pawn the fossils.

Posted by Deacon Blues 2012-02-29 18:37|| 2012-02-29 18:37|| Front Page Top

#12 Must have been the enforcer for them Bud Light hockey penguins. "Beware the Penguins!"

Posted by Dar 2012-02-29 18:45|| 2012-02-29 18:45|| Front Page Top

#13 Pingusaurus Rex

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2012-02-29 19:40|| 2012-02-29 19:40|| Front Page Top

#14 D *** NG IT, NEW ZEALAND = "LAND OF ZENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS" SEEMS TO GET ALL THE COOL OR BIG BIRDS - DODO, IMU, now GIANT PENGUINS.

Personally, I blame Hera, the Queen of the Gods.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2012-02-29 21:06|| 2012-02-29 21:06|| Front Page Top

05:28 Whiskey Mike
05:23 Whiskey Mike
05:21 Whiskey Mike
05:18 Whiskey Mike
05:15 Whiskey Mike
05:13 Whiskey Mike
05:08 Whiskey Mike
05:05 Whiskey Mike
05:03 Whiskey Mike
03:23 Besoeker
02:05 Grom the Affective
02:04 Grom the Affective
01:26 49 Pan
00:22 EMS Artifact
00:16 Skidmark