Researchers from Massey University and Bruce Museum (Connecticut, United States) checked out Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato to examine the fossil bones of the ancient penguin. The team used 3D scanning as part of their investigation and compared the fossil to digital variations of bones from around the globe. 3D scanning also meant the team could produce a 3D-printed reproduction of the fossil for the Hamilton Junior naturalists. The actual penguin fossil was contributed by the club to the Waikato Museum in 2017.
Dr. Daniel Thomas, a Senior Lecturer in Zoology from Masseys School of Natural and Computational Sciences, states the fossil is between 27.3 and 34.6 million years of ages and is from a time when much of the Waikato was under water.
” The penguin resembles the Kairuku giant penguins first described from Otago but has much longer legs, which the scientists used to name the penguin waewaeroa — Te reo Māori for long legs. These longer legs would have made the penguin much taller than other Kairuku while it was strolling on land, perhaps around 1.4 meters high, and might have influenced how quickly it might swim or how deep it could dive,” Dr. Thomas says.
” Its been a real opportunity to contribute to the story of this unbelievable penguin. We understand how essential this fossil is to a lot of people,” he adds.
” Kairuku waewaeroa is emblematic for a lot of reasons. The fossil penguin reminds us that we share Zealandia with extraordinary animal lineages that reach deep into time, and this sharing provides us an important guardianship role. The way the fossil penguin was found, by kids out finding nature, reminds us of the value of encouraging future generations to end up being kaitiaki [guardians]”.
Mike Safey, President of the Hamilton Junior Naturalist Club says it is something the kids involved will keep in mind for the rest of their lives.
” It was a rare benefit for the kids in our club to have the chance to find and rescue this enormous fossil penguin. We constantly encourage young people to explore and take pleasure in the outdoors. Theres a lot of cool things out there just waiting to be found.”.
And its a brand-new types, even! The existence of huge penguins in New Zealand is hardly understood, so its actually excellent to know that the community is continuing to study and find out more about them.
Dr. Esther Dale, a plant ecologist who now resides in Switzerland, was also there.
” Its thrilling enough to be included with the discovery of such a large and reasonably complete fossil, not to mention a new species! Im thrilled to see what we can gain from it about the development of penguins and life in New Zealand.”.
Alwyn Dale helped with the recovery of the fossil. After joining JUNATS there were some pretty iconic stories of special experiences and incredible finds– and excavating a huge penguin fossil has got to be up there!
Taly Matthews, a veteran member of the Hamilton Junior Naturalist Club, and who works for the Department of Conservation in Taranaki, says, “Finding any fossil is quite interesting when you think of just how much time has passed while this animal remained covert away, enclosed in rock. Discovering a giant penguin fossil though is on another level. As more huge penguin fossils are found we get to complete more gaps in the story. Its really exciting.”.
The research is detailed further in a paper entitled A huge Oligocene fossil penguin from the North Island of New Zealand, published today in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. The research study explains Kairuku waewaeroa as a brand-new types of fossil penguin and supplies a more complete picture of the diversity of giant penguins.
Reference: “A huge Oligocene fossil penguin from the North Island of New Zealand” 16 September 2021, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.DOI: 10.1080/ 02724634.2021.1953047.
The research study was led by PhD student Simone Giovanardi, with Dr Daniel Ksepka, Bruce Museum and Dr Daniel Thomas, Massey University.
The Kawhia giant penguin Kairuku waewaeroa. Credit Simone Giovanardi
A giant fossilized penguin discovered by New Zealand school kids has actually been revealed as a new types in the peer-reviewed Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology by Massey University scientists.
Penguins have a fossil record reaching almost as far back as the age of the dinosaurs, and the most ancient of these penguins have actually been found in Aotearoa. Fossil penguins from Zealandia (ancient Aotearoa) are mainly known from Otago and Canterbury although important discoveries have recently been made in Taranaki and Waikato.
In 2006 a group of school children on a Hamilton Junior Naturalist Club (JUNATS) fossil searching excursion in Kawhia Harbour, led by the clubs fossil specialist Chris Templer, found the bones of a giant fossil penguin.
The actual penguin fossil was contributed by the club to the Waikato Museum in 2017.
” It was a rare opportunity for the kids in our club to have the opportunity to discover and rescue this massive fossil penguin. After signing up with JUNATS there were some quite renowned stories of incredible finds and special experiences– and excavating a giant penguin fossil has got to be up there! Discovering a giant penguin fossil though is on another level. As more huge penguin fossils are discovered we get to fill in more gaps in the story.