Leg bones of a new penguin species from the Waipara Greensand add to the diversity of very large-sized Sphenisciformes in the Paleocene of New Zealand

Mayr, Gérald; Pietri, Vanesa L. De; Love, Leigh; Mannering, Al A.; Scofield, R. Paul

doi:10.1080/03115518.2019.1641619

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…We scored the new species into a data set based on the extant penguin matrix of Bertelli and Giannini (2005), which was expanded to include fossil taxa by Ksepka et al (2006) and has been modified and expanded in numerous subsequent studies, most recently by Giovanardi et al (2021). We added the previously described fossil penguins Crossvallia unienwillia Tambussi et al, 2005, Crossvallia waiparensis Mayr et al, 2019, Kaiika maxwelli , and Kupoupou stilwelli Blokland et al, 2019, and added or modified seven characters to represent new features observed in our review of recently collected Paleocene penguin material. The expanded matrix comprises 279 morphological characters and 2 outgroups, 20 extant penguin taxa, and 44 fossil penguin taxa.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The proximal portions of the tibiotarsus and fibula are preserved in articulation. The crista cnemialis cranialis has a strong square shape, as in Crossvallia waiparensis Mayr et al, 2019, and is more laterally deflected than in extant penguins (Fig. 6.5).…”

Section: Petradyptes New Genusmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…61.6–60.5 Ma) Waipara Greensand of the South Island of New Zealand (Slack et al, 2006). Since that discovery, a number of additional stem group penguins have been reported from the Waipara Greensand, capturing the morphology of penguins during the early stages of the evolution of flightless wing-propelled diving (Mayr et al, 2017a, b, 2019). Contemporary penguin fossils from the Paleocene Takatika Grit (62.5–60 Ma) have been reported from the Chatham Islands, an archipelago located ~750 km from mainland New Zealand (Blokland et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Largest-known fossil penguin provides insight into the early evolution of sphenisciform body size and flipper anatomy

et al. 2023

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Recent fossil discoveries from New Zealand have revealed a remarkably diverse assemblage of Paleocene stem group penguins. Here, we add to this growing record by describing nine new penguin specimens from the late Paleocene (upper Teurian local stage; 55.5–59.5 Ma) Moeraki Formation of the South Island, New Zealand. The largest specimen is assigned to a new species, Kumimanu fordycei n. sp., which may have been the largest penguin ever to have lived. Allometric regressions based on humerus length and humerus proximal width of extant penguins yield mean estimates of a live body mass in the range of 148.0 kg (95% CI: 132.5 kg–165.3 kg) and 159.7 kg (95% CI: 142.6 kg–178.8 kg), respectively, for Kumimanu fordycei. A second new species, Petradyptes stonehousei n. gen. n. sp., is represented by five specimens and was slightly larger than the extant emperor penguin Aptenodytes forsteri. Two small humeri represent an additional smaller unnamed penguin species. Parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses recover Kumimanu and Petradyptes crownward of the early Paleocene mainland NZ taxa Waimanu and Muriwaimanu, but stemward of the Chatham Island taxon Kupoupou. These analyses differ, however, in the placement of these two taxa relative to Sequiwaimanu, Crossvallia, and Kaiika. The massive size and placement of Kumimanu fordycei close to the root of the penguin tree provide additional support for a scenario in which penguins reached the upper limit of sphenisciform body size very early in their evolutionary history, while still retaining numerous plesiomorphic features of the flipper. UUID: https://zoobank.org/15b1d5b2-a5a0-4aa5-ba0a-8ef3b8461730

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Petradyptes New Genusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Largest-known fossil penguin provides insight into the early evolution of sphenisciform body size and flipper anatomy

et al. 2023

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“…While modern penguins appear to have a relatively conservative bauplan, the fossil record has revealed a wide range of body size and shape variation for penguins. In recent years, discoveries have improved our understanding of how penguins diversified shortly after the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction and documented the presence of many "giant" Paleogene species (Jadwiszczak, 2001;Slack et al, 2006;Clarke et al, 2007;Ksepka et al, 2012;Acosta Hospitaleche, 2016;Mayr et al, 2017a;Mayr et al 2019). Phylogenetic analyses suggest that giant penguins do not represent a clade, but that multiple lineages of penguins attained larger size independently and that these species may instead represent an example of parallel evolution (Clarke et al 2007;Chávez Hoffmeister et al, 2014;Gavryushkina et al, 2017;Mayr et al, 2017b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A giant Oligocene fossil penguin from the North Island of New Zealand

Giovanardi

Ksepka

Thomas

2021

Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

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Penguins (Sphenisciformes) have arguably the most complete and continuous fossil record of any avian clade, offering an ever-improving understanding of penguin phylogeny, biogeography, and the evolution of wing-propelled diving. Yet, our knowledge of the precise body proportions of stem-group penguins remains poor due to a dearth of articulated specimens. Here, we describe Kairuku waewaeroa sp. nov., a new giant penguin species from the Glen Massey Formation (Whaingaroan stage, 34.6-27.3 Ma). The holotype skeleton, discovered in Kawhia Harbour, North Island, New Zealand, is one of the most complete skeletons of a giant penguin yet uncovered. Our phylogenetic analysis recovers a clade uniting the New Zealand endemics Kairuku waewaeroa, Kairuku waitaki, and Kairuku grebneffi, which is supported by synapomorphies including a stout femoral shaft and tibiotarsi with a distinctly convex medial condyle. Kairuku waewaeroa is unique among stem penguins in having elongate tibiotarsi, revealing a new long-legged stem penguin body plan. The discovery of Kairuku waewaeroa contributes yet another penguin species to an Oligocene avifauna for Zealandia that is replete with giant birds.

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“…Penguins have a well-preserved fossil record (Acosta Hospitaleche et al, 2019;Ksepka et al, 2008;Mayr et al, 2019) as well as living representatives closely related to extinct species (Giovanardi et al, 2021). Studying the morphology of closely related extant species, is a robust approach for quantitatively inferring the diet and other ecological traits of species that lived in the past (Ercoli et al, 2021).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecomorphological variation of the penguin wing

Haidr

2023

Journal of Morphology

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Penguins (Aves, Sphenisciformes) are pursuit divers that feed mainly on krill, fish, and squid. Although they are opportunistic feeders, some species are more generalists than others and many show dietary preferences toward krill and other crustaceans or fish and squid. Their diving depth seems to follow a body size pattern and relates to the type of item that they prey on. Penguins dive with their wing; hence their wing musculature is responsible for the animal maneuverability and strength while diving. In the present study, ecological traits such as diving depths and prey composition are used to explore if morphology relates to foraging habits. A geometric morphometric approach is used to quantitatively address these morphological differences in the wing apparatus of all extant penguins and a fossil species taking into consideration allometric and phylogenetic factors. Results show that morphological differences among penguins with different diets are significant and strong; groups are well separated with the greatest differences found between piscivorous and crustacivorous penguins. Dive depth has a moderate covariation with morphology and a strong correspondence with wing area. Last, Madrynornis mirandus, an exceptionally well-preserved fossil from the Miocene of Patagonia, is found to be close to the piscivorous and generalist piscivorous species. It is proposed that swimming styles correlate with specific traits of the anatomy of wing and pectoral girdle skeleton and muscles.

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Leg bones of a new penguin species from the Waipara Greensand add to the diversity of very large-sized Sphenisciformes in the Paleocene of New Zealand

Cited by 10 publications

References 21 publications

Largest-known fossil penguin provides insight into the early evolution of sphenisciform body size and flipper anatomy

Largest-known fossil penguin provides insight into the early evolution of sphenisciform body size and flipper anatomy

A giant Oligocene fossil penguin from the North Island of New Zealand

Ecomorphological variation of the penguin wing

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