ANCIENT GIANT PENGUIN UNEARTHED IN PERU
Baku, October 1 (AZERTAC). The fossil of a giant penguin that lived 36 million years ago has been discovered in Peru, according to BBC News.
Scientists say the find shows that key features of the plumage were present quite early on in penguin evolution.
The team writes in Science journal that the penguin`s feathers were brown and grey, distinct from the black “tuxedo” look of modern penguins.
It was nearly twice the size of an Emperor Penguin, the largest living species.
The bird, named Inkayacu paracasensis, lived during the late Eocene period.
It had a long, straight beak, much longer than that of its modern relatives.
The fossil was found in Reserva Nacional de Paracas in Peru. The scientists nicknamed the penguin “Pedro” - after a scaly character in a Colombian TV series.
One of the highlights of the study was the presence of well-preserved feathers and scales.
“Before this fossil, we had no evidence about the feathers, colors and flipper shapes of ancient penguins,” said Julia Clarke, a palaeontologist at the University of Texas, US, and lead author of the study.
“We had questions and this was our first chance to start answering them.”
She explained to BBC News that the fossil also shows that penguins` main physical features evolved millions of years ago, but the color of penguin feathers switched from reddish brown and grey to black-and-white quite recently.
Other news in this section
