Getting chased by these monsters would give anyone “Happy Feet.”
Scientists announced Wednesday that they had discovered the remains of an ancient penguin that stood more than 5 feet tall and weighed more than a whopping 170 pounds.
The newly found species, Crossvallia waiparensis, which was discovered in New Zealand, lived between 56 million and 66 million years ago, making it one of the world’s oldest known penguin species, according to a statement from the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch.
Paleontologist Leigh Love located the penguin bones last year at a fossil site in North Canterbury.
“The fossils discovered there have made our understanding of penguin evolution a whole lot clearer,” said paleontologist Gerald Mayr. “There’s more to come, too. More fossils which we think represent new species are still awaiting description.”
Paul Scofield, a senior curator at the Canterbury Museum, says finding closely related birds in New Zealand and Antarctica illustrates the close connection between the two lands.
“When the Crossvallia species were alive, new Zealand and Antarctica were very different from today,” explains Scofield. “Antarctica was covered in forest and both had much warmer climates.”
He and other researchers analyzed the remains and concluded they were part of a previously unknown penguin species.
The mammoth penguin remains will be displayed at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand.
