Pachydyptes

Pachydyptes; Temporal range: Late Eocene 37–34 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Sphenisciformes
Family:	Spheniscidae
Subfamily:	Palaeeudyptinae
Genus:	Pachydyptes; Oliver, 1930
Species:	P. ponderosus
Binomial name
	Pachydyptes ponderosus; Oliver, 1930
Synonyms
	Palaeeudyptets antarcticus; Hector, 1873 (partim); Pachydyptes ponderosa; Lowe, 1939 (lapsus); Anthropornis ponderosus; Lowe, 1939; Anthropornis ponderosa; Lowe, 1939 (lapsus); Anthropornis nordenskjoldi; Lowe, 1939 (partim);

Pachydyptes is an extinct genus of penguin. It contains the single species Pachydyptes ponderosus, the New Zealand giant penguin. This taxon is known from a few bones from Late Eocene (37 to 34 MYA) rocks in the area of Otago.

With a height of 140 to 160 cm (about 5 ft) and weighing around 80 to possibly over 100 kg, it was the second-tallest penguin ever, surpassed only by Anthropornis nordenskjoeldi in height, but probably not in weight.

Pachydyptes was slightly larger than Icadyptes salasi, the best-identified of the giant penguins.

References

Oliver, Walter R. B. (1930). [Genus Pachydyptes]. In: New Zealand birds, 85-86. Wellington: Fine Arts.

External links

Wikinews: Students find fossilised giant penguin
Geocities Geocities NatureLand 5218: Information and good reconstruction Template:Ja icon