Scientists discovered two fossilized skulls of one of the smallest penguin species in the southern Taranaki region on New Zealand’s North Island. Photo/Live Science/Shutterstock
WELLINGTON – Scientists found two fossil skulls of one of the species penguin smallest in the southern Taranaki region on the North Island, New Zealand. The Wilson little penguin (Eudyptula wilsonae) lived 3 million years ago and is now extinct.
Form fossil The skulls of these adult and juvenile penguins are very similar in size and shape to the surviving little penguins (Eudyptula minor). This penguin is the smallest living species.
Researchers estimate that little penguins usually grow to a maximum size of about 35 centimeters and weigh about 0.9 kilograms. The discovery of the fossilized little penguin Eudyptula wilsonae is described in a study published June 21 in the Journal of Paleontology.
Scientists say the discovery shows that the diminutive penguin genus has deep roots in New Zealand. It hopes to shed light on the origin of the little penguin and its four surviving subspecies in New Zealand, mainland Australia and Tasmania.
Daniel Thomas, a zoologist at Massey University in New Zealand, said that the lineage of the little penguins remained relatively unchanged for a long time. This fact is a testament to the evolutionary resilience of the little penguin.
“The climate has changed a lot during this time and this lineage is resilient to those changes,” said Daniel Thomas, the lead author of the study, quoted by SINDOnews from the Live Science page, Thursday (6/7/2023).
This discovery could help scientists fill in the historical blanks for this ecosystem and provide insight into other extinct species living in New Zealand. The little penguin is currently listed as “of concern” (least concern) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
2023-07-06 16:03:03
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