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Updated September 21st, 2021 at 22:34 IST

New Zealand: Fossil of ancient giant Penguin discovered by school kids gets classified

The skeleton of the bird has been recognised as a new species of huge penguin that lived 30 million years ago and was 4.5 feet tall.

Reported by: Aparna Shandilya
New Zealand
Image: Unsplash | Image:self
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A group of Hamilton Junior Naturalist Club students and their club leader were on a fossil-hunting field trip in Kawhia Harbour, New Zealand, on a summer day in 2006. They initially thought they had found a rusted propeller but following closer inspection, they discovered a gigantic fossil encased in sandstone. The skeleton of the bird has been recognised as a new species of huge penguin that lived 30 million years ago and was 4.5 feet tall.

In a statement, according to Science Daily, Steffan Safey, who was 13 at the time he and his pals discovered the fossil, says, "It's kind of amazing to realise that a discovery we made as kids so many years ago is contributing to academics now."

The species lived between 27.3 to 34.6 million years ago

A holographic model of the enormous penguin was created using 3-D scanning techniques by a team of palaeontologists from Massey University and the Bruce Museum. They compared their model to existing species from throughout the world and discovered that it was a new species that lived between 27.3 to 34.6 million years ago when the region was underwater. The gigantic penguin fossil, which is one of the most complete specimens ever discovered, was about the size of a 10-year-old child.

The fossil had substantially longer legs than others found in the area, despite its similarities to others. According to Hannah Seo of Popular Science, the team named the new species 'Kairuku waewaeroa', which means "long-legged" in Maori.

"These longer legs would have made the penguin significantly taller than ordinary Kairuku while walking on land, probably approximately 1.4 metres tall. It's been a true honour to be a part of this wonderful penguin's tale. We understand the significance of this fossil to so many people," study author and Massey University palaeontologist Daniel Thomas said.

Birds evolve into abnormally large species when they're isolated in a predator-free area

Penguin fossils are almost as old as dinosaur fossils, with many of the earliest specimens coming from New Zealand. Emperor penguins, which are the world's largest living penguins, are roughly four feet tall. Part of the reason the ancient penguin became so enormous could be because birds evolve into abnormally large species when they're isolated in a predator-free area.

Palaeontologists now have a better picture of the diversity of huge penguins and their evolutionary history, thanks to the discovery of this new species.

Image: Unsplash

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Published September 21st, 2021 at 22:34 IST

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