If you are going to visit Antarctica in the near future, then the largest penguin you can meet is the Emperor Penguin, with an average height of 123 cm and a weight of 40 kg.
It is impressive in size, but small compared to their enormous ancestor, which was recently found in New Zealand. The fossil of a penguin, the size of an adult, was so large that it could pat you on the head with one of its wings during its lifetime.
The penguin swam in the oceans about 60 million years ago, and is believed to be about 160 cm tall and weigh up to 80 kg, which is 2 times heavier and 1.3 times taller than modern Emperor Penguins. It is believed to be one of several species of giant penguins that flourished shortly after the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Modeled ratio of found penguin to modern human of average height.
These results were published in Alcheringa: Australasian Journal of Paleontology. Dr. Paul Scofield, co-author and senior curator at the Canterbury Museum, said the discovery is significant because the species is similar to another giant penguin found in Antarctica. This helps to connect the 2 regions during the era when Antarctica was still covered with jungle. He said that after the extinction of dinosaurs, marine reptiles and giant fish, there was an evolutionary opportunity for penguins to thrive and grow in size.
The bone between the tibia and toes of the penguin: on the left - the fossil of an ancient penguin, on the right - the bone of the Emperor penguin.
Dr. Paul Scofield, senior curator of natural history at the Canterbury Museum, noted that the giant penguins themselves became extinct within 30 million years when large marine mammals began to rule the waters. The monstrous penguins, named Crossvallia waiparensis, would be about 2 times heavier and 30 cm taller than the largest type of penguin living today.
Dr. Paul Scofield, holding a fossil, tibiotarsus, next to a similar emperor penguin bone.
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Dr. Scofield said the leg bones also indicate that the penguin monster's legs may have played a larger role in swimming than is the case with penguins today. The leg bones of a monster penguin were found by hobbyist Lee Love about 18 months ago in the Vaipara river bed near the South Island city of Christchurch.
Prior to that, in 2014, the bones of an ancient penguin were also found in Antarctica: