Archaeospheniscus lopdelli facts for kids

Archaeospheniscus lopdelli was a very large, extinct penguin. It lived many millions of years ago. This ancient bird was almost as tall as today's emperor penguin. Scientists know about it from its bones.

Meet Archaeospheniscus lopdelli

This huge penguin, Archaeospheniscus lopdelli, was one of the biggest penguins ever. It stood about 90 to 120 centimeters (3 to 4 feet) tall. That's a bit shorter than the modern Emperor Penguin. We only know about it from the bones of one penguin. These bones were found in Duntroon, New Zealand.

When and Where it Lived

The bones were discovered in rocks called the Kokoamu Greensand Formation. These rocks are from the Late Oligocene period. This means the penguin lived about 27 to 28 million years ago. More recently, scientists found bones that might be from this same species. These were found in Antarctica, on Seymour Island. Those bones are even older, from the Late Eocene period, about 34 to 37 million years ago.

What We Know About It

Scientists are still learning about Archaeospheniscus lopdelli. It was similar to another large ancient penguin called Archaeospheniscus lowei. Because they were so similar in size, some scientists think they might actually be the same species. However, the new bone finds in Antarctica suggest there's still much to discover. Scientists are working to understand how these two large Archaeospheniscus species are related. They also want to know where these penguins lived and how they spread across the world.

Who Discovered It?

The name Archaeospheniscus lopdelli honors J. C. Lopdell. He helped Brian J. Marples, a scientist, find the fossils of this penguin. They found these important bones during excavations in Duntroon, New Zealand.