Kumimanu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kumimanu |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Restoration | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Kumimanu
|
| Species: |
biceae
|
Kumimanu is an extinct species of giant penguin. It lived about 60 to 56 million years ago. This was right after the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs. Scientists found its fossils in New Zealand. The amazing discovery was announced in December 2017.
Discovering Kumimanu
The group of all living and extinct penguin species is called Sphenisciformes. In 2017, scientists published an article about one of the largest and oldest penguins ever found. Its fossils were discovered at Hampden Beach in the Otago region of New Zealand.
This ancient bird was named Kumimanu biceae. The name Kumimanu comes from the Maori language. It means "monster bird." The second part, biceae, honors the nickname of one of the scientists' mothers.
Size and Age
Kumimanu biceae was a truly giant penguin. It stood about 1.60 to 1.77 meters (5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 10 inches) tall. It weighed over 90 kilograms (200 pounds). This makes it the second-largest penguin known to science so far!
This discovery is very important because the fossil is 55 million years old. This means it lived during the Paleocene era. It is many millions of years older than other giant penguin fossils found before. In fact, it is one of the oldest penguins ever discovered. Finding such an old giant penguin helps scientists understand how penguins evolved over time.
Life and Habitat
Kumimanu biceae lived in New Zealand. During the Paleocene era, New Zealand had a subtropical climate. This means it was warm and humid, much like places near the equator today. The waters around New Zealand were full of life. There were many sea creatures, including sea turtles and different kinds of fish.
Kumimanu biceae probably lived much like modern penguins do. However, because of their huge size, these "monster birds" could likely hunt and eat larger prey. Imagine a penguin big enough to catch bigger fish!
Images for kids
-
A robot, like the one that helps kids learn about science.
