NERDBOT
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Subscribe
    NERDBOT
    • News
      • Reviews
    • Movies & TV
    • Comics
    • Gaming
    • Collectibles
    • Science & Tech
    • Nerd Culture
    • About Us
      • Join the Team at Nerdbot
    NERDBOT
    Home»Science»Monster Penguin Remains Discovered in New Zealand
    Science

    Monster Penguin Remains Discovered in New Zealand

    Jessica LambBy Jessica LambAugust 16, 20192 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

    When you think of penguins, you likely imagine cute and cuddly tuxedo-wearing birds. They waddle and glide like torpedoes in the water and are all around non-threatening. According to a recent discovery by scientists though, that wasn’t always the case. Once upon a time there existed giant predatory penguins of your nightmares.

    These findings were recently announced after the discovery of fossils in North Canterbury on New Zealand’s South Island in 2018. The remains were discovered by amateur paleontologist Leigh Love at the Waipara Greensand fossil site. They were then studied by Canterbury museum curators Paul Scofield, Vanessa De Pietri, and Gerald Mayr of the Senckenberg Natural History Museum in Frankfurt, Germany. The extinct species has been named Crossvallia waiparensis.

    Crossvallia next to an adult human

    Crossvallia waiparensis lived in the Paleocene Epoch between 66 million ans 56 million years ago. The bird stood at a whopping five feet tall and weighed up to 176 pounds. This means the birds were just slightly shorter than the average adult female height of 5’4″. Studies of the leg bones suggest that Crossvallia’s feet played a larger role in swimming than modern penguins’ feet. Scientists believe that the large size of the birds is likely the result of an evolutionary opportunity due to the extinction of the dinosaurs.

    Scofield comparing a fossil bone to an emperor penguin

    “The oceans were ripe for the picking with the lack of mega predators. It looks like what was going on was that penguins were just starting to exploit that niche,” Scofield told the Associated Press. Marine reptiles and large fish began to take over the oceans after the mass extinction of the dinosaurs. Thus, to keep up with the increasing size of their prey, the penguins evolved in size. All of the scientists’ findings were published in Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Paleontology this week.

    Author

    Jessica Lamb
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleVariety Confirms Obi-Wan Series Coming to Disney+
    Next Article There is a Godzilla Shaped Guitar That Costs Over $50,000
    Jessica Lamb

    Jessica Lamb was born and raised in Fennville, Michigan. She attended Aquinas College where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Creative Writing. Since then, she has dedicated herself to spreading the word about all things nerd culture.

    Related Posts

    Aliens May Be Using Black Holes as Quantum Computers

    February 18, 2023

    Kurt, Once Extinct Wild Przewalski’s Horse Clone, is Thriving

    January 30, 2023

    Scientists Find Dinosaur So Well Preserved, You Can See Scales

    January 29, 2023

    There’s a Reason Pink Waves Are Hitting California Shoreline

    January 27, 2023

    Piling Space Debris Surrounding Earth Could Cause Problems

    December 23, 2022

    Lethal Robots in San Francisco Banned (for Now) After Outcry

    December 7, 2022
    • Trending
    • Latest
    • Movies
    • TV

    Christian Activist Suing The NFL For $867 Trillion Over Half-Time Show

    February 5, 2020

    Marvel Eyeing GOT Star Nathalie Emmanuel To Play The MCU’s Storm

    June 27, 2019

    Rumor: Charlie Hunnam In Talks For New Wolverine Movie

    May 20, 2019

    Scientists Are Actually Trying to Open a Portal to a Mirror Universe(Yes Really)

    December 28, 2019

    Reports of Super Nintendo World Food Poisoning Surface

    March 5, 2023

    “Creed III” Long-Running Franchise Still Packs a Punch [Review]

    March 5, 2023

    Daily Cryptocurrency Trading Tips – Crypto Blogs

    March 5, 2023

    Which Is The Best Digital Marketing Agency Website

    March 5, 2023

    “Creed III” Long-Running Franchise Still Packs a Punch [Review]

    March 5, 2023

    Jackie Chan Joins Seth Rogen’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”

    March 4, 2023

    Fede Alvarez “Alien: Romulus” Film Announces Cast

    March 3, 2023

    “Portlandia’s” Johnathan Krisel May Direct “Detective Pikachu 2”

    March 3, 2023

    Alex Kurtzman Reveals “Star Trek: Discovery” Ending with Season 5

    March 3, 2023

    Walter White’s Signature “Breaking Bad” Undies Sell for $32K

    March 2, 2023

    Final Season of HBO’s “Succession” Gets a Fitting Final Trailer

    March 2, 2023
    Rachel Weisz in "Dead Ringers," 2023

    Rachel Weisz “Dead Ringers” Series Gets Haunting Teaser Trailer

    March 1, 2023
    Related Posts

    None found

    San Diego Comic-Con
      • auction
      • carnivorous plant
      • dinosaur
      • pennyworth
      • San Diego Comic-Con
    NERDBOT
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    © 2023 NERDBOT Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.