Penguins are very unique aquatic animals. Even though they mostly live in Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic region, penguins’ popularity extends throughout the world. Penguins themselves come from various species with varying sizes. The smallest is the Little Penguin which measures around 30 cm, and the largest species is the Emperor Penguin which measures up to 1.3 m.
Not many people know that the cute and adorable penguins we know today were once giant animals capable of reaching extraordinary heights and weights. However, recently experts discovered a penguin fossil which is believed to be the largest penguin that ever existed.
This fossil is Kumimanu fordyceiand here you will be invited to find out more about this giant penguin.
1. Fossil discovery
Various fossil discoveries show that early penguins reached enormous sizes, making the largest penguins alive today appear small. Newly discovered species, Kumimanu fordyceiis the largest penguin fossil ever found, with an estimated weight of around 159 kg.
Research team from Cambridge Universityreported this discovery in Journal of Paleontology in 2023. This fossil was discovered in 57 million year old coastal rocks in North Otago, on New Zealand’s South Island, between 2016 and 2017.
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2. Physical appearance
Kumimanu fordycei Restoration (commons.wikimedia.org)
According to research published in Journal of Paleontology 2023, 3D rendering of a skeleton Kumimanu fordycei estimates that this bird weighs about 159 kg. However, the height of these ancient penguins is more difficult to determine.
The reason is, fossils Kumimanu fordycei what was found was incomplete, making it difficult for researchers to estimate its overall size. However, it is estimated to be high poultry This water is about 1.5 to 1.8 m deep.
Previously, the largest penguin fossil discovered was Palaeeudyptes klekowskii. It weighs 116 kg and is about 2.1 m tall. Kumimanu fordycei It is considered the largest penguin that ever lived at about three times the size of today’s largest penguin.
3. The oldest ancient penguin
According to All Thats Interesting, Kumimanu fordycei and Petradyptes stonehousei may be the two oldest ancient penguins. Their fossil remains may give researchers a better understanding of how ancient penguins evolved around the world.
Giant ancient penguins, such as Kumimanu fordycei still existed until about 27 million years ago. Researchers are still not sure why these waterfowl became extinct, but it is thought that competition and a lack of resources were the cause of the penguin’s extinction.
4. Why did ancient penguins grow so big
penguin illustration (commons.m.wikimedia.org/Andrew Skujins)
Explained University of Cambridge, it is thought that early penguins grew to giant sizes because it made them more efficient in the water. Size provides many advantages. Larger penguins can catch larger prey. In addition, their large size will make them better at maintaining body temperature in cold waters. It is possible that by exceeding 45 kg, ancient penguins could have spread from New Zealand to other parts of the world.
Large warm-blooded marine animals living today can dive to great depths. This gives rise to speculation as to whether Kumimanu fordycei has an ecology that penguins do not have today, namely being able to dive into deeper waters and find food that is inaccessible to penguins today.
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2024-01-10 22:04:00
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