Short Note: New data on morphology of late Eocene penguins and implications for their geographic distribution

Phylogenetic Characters in the Humerus and Tarsometatarsus of Penguins

“…The internal topology of this clade supports the monophyly of Kairuku, as well as the sister relationship between the Antarctic species of Palaeeudyptes and the clade P. marplesi + Inkayacu. This confirms the close relation between Inkayacu and the Antarctic Palaeeudyptes (Jadwiszczak 2011), and may even imply that Inkayacu could be a junior synonym of Palaeeudyptes. Unfortunately, because the posi− tion of Palaeeudyptes antarcticus is unresolved, the monophyly of this genus cannot be confirmed.…”

First partial skeleton of Delphinornis larseni Wiman, 1905, a slender-footed penguin from the Eocene of Antarctic Peninsula

“…On the other hand, the most abundant in named species is another genus, Delphinornis Wiman, 1905, a representative of the latter group. Estimated body sizes of individuals from all its species (Jadwiszczak, 2011;Mörs, 2011), i.e., D. larseni Wiman, 1905, D. gracilis (Wiman, 1905), and D. arctowskii Myrcha et al, 2002, were largely comparable to those of middle-sized extant penguins (Jadwiszczak and Chapman, 2011, figure 1).…”

First bird remains from the Eocene of Algarrobo, central Chile

“…Southern discoveries also include indeterminate penguin remains (Sphenisciformes), represented at least by two morphotypes of different size, also large-sized penguins of the genus Palaeeudyptes, and a fragmentary tibiotarsus referred to a probable indeterminate Ardeidae, all recovered from three units of middle to late Eocene exposed in Magallanes, southernmost Chile (Sallaberry et al, 2010). The low-latitude records are represented by endemic species such as Perudyptes devriesi Clarke et al, 2007, from middle Eocene levels of the Paracas Formation, Peru, and Icadyptes salasi Clarke et al, 2007, recovered (Jadwiszczak, 2011).…”