Giant Penguin Ever Living in New Zealand

New Zealand was once the home of the penguin species the highest ever known, namely Kairuku grebneffi who stood as high as 4.2 feet (1.3 meters).

Underweight penguins that lived about 27 million years ago in a place as a haven for penguins. At that time New Zealand was under water and only the top of the mountain could be seen towering over the sea surface. Condition becomes an ideal nest for several species of penguin

Giant penguin fossil specimens were found beginning in the 1970s, and researchers continue to explore the animal's bones recently, said researcher and paleontologist at the North Carolina State University Daniel Ksepka.

"In the past we would think there are one or two species live in the area. Now we know there are five who live there," said Ksepka

Ksepka and his colleagues explain that Kairuku grebneffi and second species, Kairuku Waitaki, in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Kairuku grebneffi fins are very long and slender body, short legs and stocky though like in the penguin today.

Today, penguins tend to cluster in species-specific habitat. For example, Humboldt penguins dominate the coast of Peru, while the Magellan penguin is the main species found in Argentina. But researchers found that in New Zealand was an ancient variety of penguin species coexist.

"The penguin is very interesting. They are so different from other birds so that there is much we can do in the fossil record, for the sake of trying to understand how they became as they are now." Ksepka said.