Kairuku waewaeroa
Kairuku waewaeroa or Kawhia giant penguin is a fossil species of giant penguin (Sphenisciformes) whose Oligocene fossil remains have been found in Kawhia Harbour on the North Island of New Zealand.[1][2]
| Kairuku waewaeroa Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Sphenisciformes |
| Genus: | †Kairuku |
| Species: | †K. waewaeroa |
| Binomial name | |
| †Kairuku waewaeroa Giovanardi, Ksepka & Thomas, 2021 | |
Description
The skeleton of the holotype is one of the most complete skeletons of giant penguins that have ever been found. Phylogenetic analysis reveals a clade that unites New Zealand endemics Kairuku waewaeroa, Kairuku waitaki and Kairuku grebneffi. The probable height of K. waewaeroa is 1.38 m (4.5 ft), and the length of the body from the fingertips to the tip of the beak is 1.6 m (5.2 ft).[1][3]
Distribution
The fossils were found within the Glen Massey formation (34.6–27.3 Ma) in the North Island of New Zealand.[1]
References
- 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.
- Wetzel, Corryn (17 September 2021). "New Zealand Kids Discovered This Fossil of New Giant Penguin Species on a Field Trip". Smithsonian Magazine. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- "A mega-penguin stood tall on prodigious limbs". Nature. 597. 21 September 2021. doi:10.1038/d41586-021-02562-y.
External links
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