Waitaha penguin
| Waitaha Penguin | |
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| Species: | M. waitaha
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| Binomial name | |
| Megadyptes waitaha Boessenkool et al., 2008
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The Waitaha Penguin (Megadyptes waitaha) is an extinct species of New Zealand penguin discovered in November 2008.
The new species was discovered by University of Otago and University of Adelaide[2] scientists comparing the foot bones of 500-year-old, 100-year-old and modern specimens of penguins. They initially believed all belonged to the Yellow-eyed Penguin, (Megadyptes antipodes), a species which has been threatened since human settlement. However, the 500-year-old bones yielded different DNA and "were around 10% smaller than the Yellow-eyed Penguin. The two species are very closely related".[3] "Our findings demonstrate that yellow-eyed penguins on mainland New Zealand are not a declining remnant of a previous abundant population, but came from the sub-Antarctic relatively recently and replaced the extinct Waitaha Penguin," said team member Dr Jeremy Austin, deputy director of the Australasian Centre for Ancient DNA.[4]
As the local Māori people have no record of this different species, it is estimated to have perished between c. AD 1300 and 1500, soon after Polynesian settlement of New Zealand. The report was published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.[1][3][5]
See also
References
- ^ a b Boessenkool, Sanne (2008). "Relict or colonizer? Extinction and range expansion of penguins in southern New Zealand". Proc. R. Soc. B. Forthcoming. doi:10.1098/rspb.2008.1246.
{{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Askin, Pauline (2008-11-20). "Researchers stumble upon new penguin species". Reuters. Retrieved 2008-11-21.
- ^ a b "Rare penguin took over from rival". BBC News. 2008-11-19. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|curly=ignored (help) - ^ http://www.ecoearth.info/shared/reader/welcome.aspx?linkid=111019
- ^ Fox, Rebecca (2008-11-20). "Ancient species of penguin found in DNA of bones". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
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