Penguins cannot fly, and although their wings may seem merely decorative, these appendages actually play a much larger role in penguins’ evolutionary history. Fossil penguin species name Pakdipthes hakataramea The discovery bridges the gap between extinct penguins and those living today. Part of the bone shows how wings evolved to enable penguins to swim so fast. Research published July 31 Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
Pakdipthes It lived about 24 million years ago in what is now the South Island of New Zealand. It was very small. Little Blue Penguin (Korora) Living in the present day. 9.8 inches tall, weighing 2.2 pounds. Pakdipthes It is one of the smallest species of penguin that has ever lived on Earth.
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Interestingly, Pakdipthes Even though they were a very early species, penguins had physical adaptations that allowed them to dive underwater. studyA team of scientists from the University of Otago in New Zealand, the Ashoro Museum of Natural History in Japan, Okayama University of Science and Osaka University examined the three bones: the humerus, femur and ulna were discovered during several field expeditions conducted by the University of Otago and the Ashoro Museum of Natural History in 1987. The late paleontologist Ewan Fordyce It is located in the Hakataramea Valley in the Canterbury region of the South Island.
They are, Pakdipthes It fills a morphological gap between modern penguins and extinct fossil penguins.
“In particular, the shape of the wing bones is very different, and it was unclear how penguins’ wings acquired their current shape and function,” said study co-author Tatsuro Ando, a paleontologist at the Ashoro Museum of Paleontology. It said in a statement.
The humerus and ulna show how the penguin’s wings evolved.
“To my surprise, Pakdipthes “It was very close to the state of modern penguins, but the elbow joint was very similar to that of older types of fossil penguins,” Ando says.Pakdipthes This is the first penguin fossil to be found in this combination and is a key fossil that will shed light on the evolution of penguins’ wings.”
University of Otago School of Dentistry The internal bone structure of the fossil was analyzed. When we compared this with data on modern penguins from Okayama University of Science, Pakdipthes Penguins have microanatomical features that indicate they were capable of diving. Modern penguins Excellent swimming abilityTheir bullet-like swimming technique is mainly due to their dense, thick bones that provide added buoyancy while diving.
in PakdipthesThe cortical bone was moderately thick. However, The medullary cavityIt had holes in it containing bone marrow, similar to the live Little Blue Penguins that usually swim in shallow water.
Pakdipthes Diving and swimming A unique combination of bonesThe humerus and ulna have muscle and ligament attachments that show how the wings were used for swimming and locomotion in the water.
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Though extinct, fossil penguins were generally large. Some reached heights of about 4.5 or even 6 feet, whereas modern emperor penguins are about 3 to 4 feet.
“Penguins evolved rapidly from the late Oligocene to the early Miocene. Pakdipthes “It’s a key fossil from this period,” said study co-author Carolina Locke from the University of Otago’s School of Dentistry. It said in a statement“Their small body size and unique bone combination may have contributed to the ecological diversity of modern penguins.”
