Perudyptes

Perudyptes is a basal penguin from the Middle Eocene Paracas Formation of Peru.[1][2][3]

Perudyptes
Temporal range: Mid Eocene (Mustersan)
~42 Ma
↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Sphenisciformes
Family: Spheniscidae
Genus: †Perudyptes
Clarke et al., 2007
Species:
†P. devriesi
Binomial name
†Perudyptes devriesi
Clarke et al., 2007

Description

Perudyptes devriesi is a basal penguin from the Middle Eocene (Mustersan, ~42 Ma) Paracas Formation of Peru. This new discovery is able to fill a major phylogenetic and stratigraphic (~20 million year) gap between the earliest fossil penguins (Waimanu manneringi and Waimanu tuatahi, ~58–61.6 Ma) and the next oldest partial skeletons.[3]

The skull of Perudyptes is characterized by deep temporal fossae and an elongate, narrow beak that differs from other reported stem penguins in its short mandibular symphysis. The wing skeleton of Perudyptes preserves a combination of plesiomorphic features also observed in the basal penguin Waimanu and derived features shared with more crownward penguins.[2]

References
  1. Perudyptes at Fossilworks.org
  2. Julia A. Clarke; Daniel T. Ksepka; Marcelo Stucchi; Mario Urbina; Norberto Giannini; Sara Bertelli; Yanina Narváez & Clint A. Boyd (2007). "Paleogene equatorial penguins challenge the proposed relationship between penguin biogeography, body size evolution, and Cenozoic climate change". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 104 (28): 11545–11550. doi:10.1073/pnas.0611099104. PMC 1913862. PMID 17601778.
  3. Daniel T. Ksepka & Julia A. Clarke (2010). "The basal penguin (Aves, Sphenisciformes) Perudyptes devriesi and a phylogenetic evaluation of the penguin fossil record". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 337. hdl:2246/6065.


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