Anthropornis
| Anthropornis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Size comparison of theAnthropornis nordenskjoeldi | |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Sphenisciformes |
| Family: | Spheniscidae |
| Subfamily: | †Palaeeudyptinae |
| Genus: | †Anthropornis Wiman, 1905 |
| Species | |
| |
Anthropornisis agenusofgiant penguinthat lived 45-33 million years ago, during theLate Eoceneand the earliest part of theOligocene.[1]
Description
[edit]
Anthropornisreached 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 ofAnthroporniscan 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 theLa Meseta FormationonSeymour Islandoff the coast ofAntarcticaand inNew Zealand.By comparison, the largest modern penguin species, theemperor penguin,is just 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) long.
The type species,Anthropornis nordenskjoldi,had a bent joint in the wing, probably avestigialtrait from its flying ancestors.
References
[edit]- ^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
- ^"Body size of Eocene Antarctic penguins".Polish Polar Research.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
 | Thisprehistoric birdarticle is astub.You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |