Oldest known extinct little penguin fossil skull found in New Zealand

A group of paleontologists, one with Massey University, two with the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and the fourth from the Bruce Museum, has found the fossilized remains of the oldest known extinct little penguin. In their paper published in the Journal of Paleontology, the group describes where and how the fossils were found and how the little birds fit in with modern little penguins.

The two fossilized skulls were found by the team in the southern Taranaki region of New Zealand’s North Island, in the Tangahoe Formation. Testing showed both were of the same ancient species and were the first of their kind to be found. The team named them Eudyptula wilsonae, which translates to Wilson’s little penguin. One of the skulls was from an adult, while the other was from a juvenile. Both were in good enough condition to allow for comparison with modern little penguins (kororā), the smallest extant species of penguin.

The research team admits that they were not able to say for sure how big the ancient species might have been, but by comparing to their modern ancestors, they guess they were likely approximately 35 centimeters tall and likely weighed just under a kilogram.

In modern times, multiple species of little penguins live in Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania. Little work has been done, however, to trace their lineage. So it is not known if the newly found species is a direct descendant. Due to their similarities, the research team suspects they likely are.

They also suggest it is a testament to the remarkable ability of the birds to adapt to a changing world without having to undergo much change themselves—the environment around them has changed dramatically over the years, the team notes. Also, modern little penguins now occupy the broadest range of territory of any penguin.

The newly found species, they note, was alive approximately 3 million years ago and dispersed over the course of the Pleistocene—the find also confirms the little penguins were alive during the Neogen period. The research team suggests that their find also shows a Zealandian origin for little penguins in general.

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