Researchers from New Zealand and the United States described the previously unknown appearance of the Giant Prehistoric Penguins of Kairuku Waewaeroa, having lived 27-30 million years ago. The article of scientists is published in Journal of Vertebrate Paleticology.
Fossale was discovered by members of the Club of Young Naturalists of the city of Hamilton in 2006. Translucent of the fossil with X-ray radiation, scientists have created a three-dimensional model of the skeleton of extinct bird. It turned out that the skeleton belongs to the previously unknown type of penguins, similar to representatives of the genus Kairuku, but higher – its growth was 1.4 meters – and differing from them longer legs.
The last feature gave a penguin species name – Waewaeroa, which is translated from Maori as “long-legged”. He lived at the same time as other representatives of the kind – 27-30 million years ago. As scientists suggest, the unusual limb device Kairuku Waewaeroa helped him faster swimming and deeper to dive, and also more actively move on land.