|
Here is some general information about Fossil penguins. The
study of fossil penguins relies largely on chance finds of fossils that can clearly be
attributed to penguins. Since penguins are marine animals, and when they do come
ashore it is usually on remote islands, it is not so surprising that the fossil record is
so sparse. Fossils have been discovered in more or less all the parts of the world
where penguins can be found today, suggesting their range has not changed significantly
over the millenia. In fact the fossil evidence suggests penguins have, for the past
40,000,000 years lived all around the southern half of the southern hemisphere -
especially in the cold more southerly waters.
The precise classification of fossil penguins is very difficult, but today, some 23 now
extinct species are recognised. In a few of these species there are very few fossil
specimens and these are only of a few bones. In fact there are very few fossil
penguins that come close to being complete - most usually it is the thick bones in the
legs that survive and fossilise. This paucity in the record makes any accurate
estimation of the sizes of these penguins very difficult. Nevertheless, several
workers have managed to make reasonable estimates of sizes of the different fossil
species. These, together with some other data are summarised in the table below.
Species Name
|
Location
|
Dates (millions of years ago)
|
Estimated height (cm)
|
| Pachydyptes ponderosus |
New Zealand |
37 - 45 |
140 - 160 |
|
|
|
|
| Palaeudyptes marplesi |
New Zealand |
37 - 45 |
105 - 145 |
| Palaeudyptes gunnari |
Seymour Island, Antarctica |
37 - 45 |
110 - 125 |
| Palaeudyptes antarcticus |
New Zealand |
33 - 37 |
110 - 180 |
| Anthropornis nordenskjoeldi |
Seymour Island, Antarctica |
37 - 45 |
160 - 180 |
|
|
|
|
| Wimanornis seymourensis |
Seymour Island, Antarctica |
37 - 45 |
105 - 120 |
|
|
|
|
| Delphinoris larseni |
Seymour Island, Antarctica |
37 - 45 |
85 - 95 |
|
|
|
|
| Archaeospheniscus wimani |
Seymour Island, Antarctica |
37 - 45 |
75 - 85 |
| Archaeospheniscus lopdelli |
New Zealand |
33 - 37 |
95 - 120 |
| Archaeospheniscus loweri |
New Zealand |
33 - 37 |
85 - 115 |
|
|
|
|
| Platydyptes ameisi |
New Zealand |
25 - 30 |
95 - 105 |
| Platydyptes novaezealandiae |
New Zealand |
33 - 37 |
85 - 95 |
|
|
|
|
| Duntroonornis parvus |
New Zealand |
33 - 37 |
50 - 70 |
|
|
|
|
| Korora olivera |
New Zealand |
25 - 30 |
65 - 75 |
|
|
|
|
| Arthrodytes grandis |
Argentina |
18 - 25 |
120 - 135 |
|
|
|
|
| Paraptenodytes antarcticus |
Argentina |
18 - 25 |
90 - 100 |
| Paraptenodytes robustus |
Argentina |
18 - 25 |
70 - 80 |
| Palaeosphensiscus wimani |
Argentina |
18 - 25 |
70 - 80 |
| Palaeosphensiscus patagonicus |
Argentina |
18 - 25 |
65 - 75 |
| Palaeosphensiscus bergi |
Argentina |
18 - 25 |
60 - 70 |
| Palaeosphensiscus gracilis |
Argentina |
18 - 25 |
40 - 60 |
|
|
|
|
| Pygocelis tyreei |
New Zealand |
3.5 - 5.5 |
70 - 80 |
|
|
|
|
| Aptenodytes ridgeni |
New Zealand |
3.5 - 5.5 |
90 - 100 |
Note only the last two of these fossil penguins have been recognised as belonging to any
of the six genera of modern penguin. This suggests that there are still
several more as yet undiscovered extinct species waiting to be discovered.
Bibliography
The Penguins Tony D Williams, OUP, Oxford, 1995.
Penguins, Past and Present, Here and There, G G Simpson, Yale
University Press, NY, 1976
 |
