Anthropornis
Temporal range: Eocene–Oligocene
~
Size comparison of the Anthropornis nordenskjoeldi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Sphenisciformes
Family: Spheniscidae
Subfamily: †Palaeeudyptinae
Genus: †Anthropornis
Wiman, 1905
Species
  • A. nordenskjoeldi Wiman, 1905 (type)
  • A. grandis (Wiman, 1905)

Anthropornis is a genus of giant penguin that lived 45-33 million years ago, during the Late Eocene and the earliest part of the Oligocene.[1]

Description

Life restoration of A. grandis

Anthropornis reached 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) in length from the tip of the beak to the tip of the tail, and 90 kg (200 lb) in weight. There is also an estimate that one remain of Anthropornis can reach that body length of 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) and 108 kg (238 lb) in weight.[2] Fossils of it have been found in the La Meseta Formation on Seymour Island off the coast of Antarctica and in New Zealand. By comparison, the largest modern penguin species, the emperor penguin, is just 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) long.

The type species, Anthropornis nordenskjoldi, had a bent joint in the wing, probably a vestigial trait from its flying ancestors.

References

  1. ↑ Myrcha, A., Jadwiszczak, P., Tambussi, C.P., Noriega, J.I., Gazdzicki, A., Tatur, A., and Valle, R.A. (2002). "Taxonomic Revision of Eocene Antarctic Penguins Based on Tarsometatarsal Morphology". Polish Polar Research, 23(1): 5-46
  2. ↑ "Body size of Eocene Antarctic penguins". Polish Polar Research.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.