Kairuku
Kairuku is an extinct genus of penguin.[1] It contains three species, K. grebneffi, K. waitaki [2] and K. waewaeroa.[3] This taxon is known from bones from 27 MYA (late Oligocene), from the Kokoamu Greensand Formation of New Zealand.[1] It was historically referred to as Palaeeudyptes.[1]
| Kairuku Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
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| Artist's impression of Kairuku | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Sphenisciformes |
| Genus: | †Kairuku Ksepka, Fordyce, Ando & Jones, 2012 |
| Type species | |
| Kairuku waitaki Ksepka, Fordyce, Ando & Jones, 2012 | |
| Species | |
| |
Description
Size comparation of various species of Kairuku.
Kairuku is one of the most completely known genus of Paleogene penguins. Described species are larger than modern emperor penguin which stood around a meter,[1] K. grebneffi stood 1.28 metres (4.2 ft) tall,[1] and K. waewaeroa is even larger with height up to 1.38 metres (4.5 ft).[3] Unnamed species called Glen Murray fossil penguin is estimated to have a height 2 to 20% taller than K. grebneffi.[4]
See also
References
- Ksepka, Daniel T.; Fordyce, R. Ewan; Ando, Tatsuro; Jones, Craig M. (March 2012). "New fossil penguins (Aves, Sphenisciformes) from the Oligocene of New Zealand reveal the skeletal plan of stem penguins". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (2): 235–254. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.652051. JSTOR 41515052.
- Giant Prehistoric Penguin was Bigger Than an Emperor | Observations, Scientific American Blog Network
- Giovanardi, Simone; Ksepka, Daniel T.; Thomas, Daniel B. (16 September 2021). "A giant Oligocene fossil penguin from the North Island of New Zealand". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology: e1953047. doi:10.1080/02724634.2021.1953047. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021.
- Thomas, DB; Ksepka, DT (1 October 2016). "The Glen Murray fossil penguin from the North Island of New Zealand extends the geographic range of Kairuku". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 46 (3–4): 200–213. doi:10.1080/03036758.2016.1211541. ISSN 0303-6758.
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