Largest penguin ever discovered weighed a whopping 340 pounds, fossils reveal
By Harry Baker published about 17 hours ago
Researchers in New Zealand have unearthed fossils from two previously unknown ancient penguin species. One of the new species is the largest penguin ever discovered.
The largest penguin to ever waddle on Earth, Kumimanu fordycei, steps onto a beach surrounded by another newly discovered species, Petradyptes stonehousei, in this life reconstruction. (Image credit: Simone Giovanardi/Bruce Museum)
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Scientists have unearthed the fossilized remains of the largest ever known penguin on Earth, a 340-pound (154 kilograms) behemoth that glided through the oceans around what is now New Zealand more than 50 million years ago.
The fossils of this newfound species, Kumimanu fordycei, were found alongside eight other specimens inside beach boulders in North Otago, on New Zealand's South Island. Five of the remaining specimens belonged to another newfound species, Petradyptes stonehousei, one belonged to another known giant penguin, Kumimanu biceae, and two were unidentified. The rocks dated to between 59.5 million and 55.5 million years ago.
In a study, published Feb. 8 in the Journal of Paleontology(opens in new tab), researchers estimated the weight of the two newfound species based on the size and density of their bones compared with those of modern penguins. The team found that P. stonehousei weighed around 110 pounds (50 kilograms), which is slightly above the weight of living emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri). K. fordeycei would have weighed more than three times that, tipping the scales at a whopping 340 pounds. For comparison, the average 20-year-old man in the U.S. weighs 198 pounds (90 kg), according to Healthline(opens in new tab). (Without a near-complete skeleton, the researchers weren't able to estimate the body length of the new species.)
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Previously, the largest penguin on record was Palaeeudyptes klekowskii, which lived around 37 million years ago in Antarctica, weighed 256 pounds (116 kg) and stood at around 6.6 feet (2 meters) tall, earning it the nickname "colossus penguin." The next largest, K. biceae, weighed around 267 pounds (121 kg) and had a body length of around 5.8 feet (1.8 m).
More:
https://www.livescience.com/largest-penguin-ever-discovered-weighed-a-whopping-340-pounds-fossils-reveal
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... that's a whale of a penguin!
By Joshua Hawkins
Published Feb 9th, 2023 11:15PM EST
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Image: fieldwork / Adobe
A new study of ancient fossils reveals just how big some penguins used to be. Researchers say they discovered the remains of a giant species of penguin in New Zealand that was more than six feet tall, making the “monster bird” the largest penguin ever to exist, at least that humanity knows of.
Researchers named the species Kumimanu fordycei, and it lived around 55-60 million years ago. Researchers initially estimated the monster bird was 3 .5 feet (1.06 meters) tall. However, a new analysis of the bones revealed that the bird was closer to 6.2 feet tall (1.9 meters) and weighed up to 350 pounds (158 kilograms).
In comparison, the largest living species of penguin, Emperor Penguins, are up to 4.1 feet (1.25 meters) tall and weigh up to 90 pounds (41 kg), making this discovery massive in more ways than one.
Researchers say the fossilized bones of the monster bird were found in two locations on New Zealand’s South Island. It is believed that the bird used these sites to breed since a number of bones belonging to the species were found in one area.
More:
https://bgr.com/science/scientists-unearthed-a-monster-bird-fossil/