Giant Prehistoric Penguins

Giant Prehistoric Penguins!!!

Summary:

Paleontologists reconstructed a model of penguin found in modern day New Zealand approximately 25 million years ago. The fossilized bones, found in 1977, helped reconstruct the model which stands at around 4 feet 6 inches tall, the size of a fourth grader. The article goes on to detail how the penguins' short, thick legs and feet and flipper-like wings were well suited to the environment of New Zealand, which back then was nothing more than just a bunch of isolated rocky masses. The change from wings to flippers was a smart one as there was infinitely more food to be found in the ocean and their isolated rock environment kept them safe from predators.This discovery is hoped to aid the scientists' study of giant penguins back in the era in general.

Relevance to Class:

In biology class we studied the process of natural selection and how organism's and species in general evolve over time. This article shows how birds in New Zealand, 25 million years ago, gave up their wings for flippers and a streamlined body for faster movement through the water. This shows how natural selection is a "remodeling" process, changing wings into flippers to suit their environment, as there was much more food and opportunity to be found in the sea.

Siting:

URL: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/02/kairuku-fossil-penguin/
Author: Katie Scott
Date of Publication: February 28, 2012