Palaeospheniscus patagonicus

Palaeospheniscus patagonicus Temporal range:
Conservation status
Fossil
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Sphenisciformes
Family:	Spheniscidae
Subfamily:	Palaeospheniscinae
Genus:	Palaeospheniscus
Species:	P. patagonicus
Binomial name
Palaeospheniscus patagonicus Moreno & Mercerat, 1891
Synonyms
Palaeospheniscus menzbieri Moreno & Mercerat, 1891 Palaeospheniscus interruptus Ameghino, 1905 Palaeospheniscus intermedius Ameghino, 1905 Palaeospheniscus affinis Ameghino, 1905

Palaeospheniscus patagonicus is the type species of the penguin genus Palaeospheniscus, which is known from fossils. It stood about 65–75 cm high in life, roughly the size of an African penguin.

This species is known from several dozen bones, found in Early Miocene strata of the Patagonian Molasse Formation. The specimens from known localities were collected near Trelew and Gaiman in Chubut Province, Argentina.

Currently, there is some debate about whether Palaeospheniscus wimani is a synonym of this species or not.

References

• Moreno, Francisco "Perito" & Mercerat, A. (1891): Catálogo de los pájaros fósiles de la República Argentina conservados en el Museo de La Plata. Anales del Museo de La Plata 1: 7-71, 21 plates.
• Simpson, George Gaylord (1946): Fossil penguins. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 87: 7-99. PDF fulltext
• Simpson, George Gaylord (1971): Conspectus of Patagonian fossil penguins. American Museum Novitates 2488: 1-37. PDF fulltext