Partial limb skeleton of a “giant penguin” Anthropornis from the Eocene of Antarctic Peninsula

• Published in: Polish Polar Research
• Main Author: Jadwiszczak, Piotr
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Walter de Gruyter GmbH 2012
• Subjects: Ecology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Marambio; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Polar Research
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/v10183-012-0017-0; https://content.sciendo.com/view/journals/popore/33/3/article-p259.xml; https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/popore.2012.33.issue-3/v10183-012-0017-0/v10183-012-0017-0.pdf

Abstract : The fossil record of the Antarctic penguins is dated to the late Paleocene of Sey− mour (Marambio) Island, but the largest sphenisciforms, genera Anthropornis and Palae− eudyptes , originate from the Eocene La Meseta Formation. Here, the most complete large−scale reconstruction of a limb skeleton (a whole wing and a partial hind leg) of a Paleogene Antarctic penguin is reported. All bones are attributable to a single individual identified as Anthropornis sp. The comparative and functional analyses of the material indi− cate that this bird was most probably well−adapted to land and sea while having a number of intriguing features. The modern−grade carpometacarpal morphology is unique among known Eocene Antarctic species and all but one more northerly taxa.