Icadyptes salasi

Icadyptes salasi, Graphical reconstruction

  • Peru, Ica Province

Icadyptes salasi is the largest known Penguin Style America, their fossils, researchers at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, found on the south coast of present-day Peru, in the province of Ica. Icadyptes lived 36 million years, was 1.50 m high and had a 20 cm long, dagger-like beak, with whom he went to hunt fish. Larger giant fossil penguins have so far been found only in New Zealand and Australia ( Anthropornis nordenskjoeldi and Pachydyptes ponderosus ).

Contrary to previous theory that penguins come from the Antarctic area and from there - less than 10 million years ago - spread to the north, refute the findings from the equatorial region, that the big birds nearly 30 million years earlier than expected near the equator lived. Besides Icadyptes also only half as large type, the Perudyptes was found devriesi in Peru, which must, however, have already lived 42 million years ago.

The name of the extinct animal is composed of the locality ( Ica ) and the Greek word for " divers " ( dyptes ) together. The addition salasi is a tribute to the Peruvian paleontologist Rodolfo Salas.

Itemization

406473
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