The giant waddling sea bird stood 1.6 metres (63 inches) high and weighed 80 kilograms, about four times heavier and 40cm taller than the modern Emperor penguin, researchers said.
Named "crossvallia waiparensis", it hunted off New Zealand's coast in the Paleocene era, 66-56 million years ago. An amateur fossil hunter found leg bones belonging to the bird last year and it was confirmed as a new species in research published this week in Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology.
Canterbury Museum researcher Vanesa De Pietri said it was the second giant penguin from the Paleocene era found in the area.
"It further reinforces our theory that penguins attained great size early in their evolution," she said.
Scientists have previously speculated that the mega-penguins eventually died out due to the emergence of other large marine predators such as seals and toothed whales.
(Score: 2) by bart9h on Thursday August 15 2019, @05:39PM (3 children)
33% taller != giant
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 15 2019, @06:07PM (1 child)
What do you want, twelve feet tall and blowing fire out it's arse? A five and a quarter foot penguin seems pretty freakin' huge to me! :)
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Thursday August 15 2019, @08:44PM
To be fair, we did have these 3.6 metre* tall monsters. [wikipedia.org] The early Polynesian explorers did not leave any clues as to whether they blew fire out of their arses, but I'm going to assume it is unlikely.
Which is a shame.
* 12 feet(ish).
(Score: 2) by EvilSS on Thursday August 15 2019, @08:26PM
(Score: 2) by stretch611 on Thursday August 15 2019, @05:53PM (1 child)
Thanks to linux in recent years, the best mega-penguin know as Tux has been re-awakened and is poised to grow farther... he will not fail this time.
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 16 2019, @01:06PM
Use the source, Luke!
https://web.archive.org/web/20000818081725if_/http://penguincomputing.com:80/graphics/tuxdesktop1280x1024.jpg [archive.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 15 2019, @06:00PM
This classic poster comes to mind [desktopnexus.com]
(Score: 3, Funny) by Bot on Thursday August 15 2019, @06:20PM
Penguins cannot fossilize, unless you install systemd, systemd was conceived only recently, when a guy called lennart sold his soul to a guy with a red hat and something micro and soft between his legs. Reportedly he was tempted by a half eaten apple.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Friday August 16 2019, @05:22AM
Getting close to six feet tall? That's just ... madness [fandom.com]!