Fossil shows penguin wing evolution

Late Oligocene tiny penguin fossil from New Zealand.

Follow us onFollow Tech Explorist on Google News

According to an international study published in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, a tiny fossil penguin is crucial to understanding bird evolution. The new species, Pakudyptes Hakata ramen, lived in Otago 24 million years ago and was about the size of the little blue penguin.

Lead author Dr. Tatsuro Ando, now at the Ashoro Museum of Paleontology in Japan, worked with researchers from University of Otago, Okayama University of Science, and Osaka University. Inspired by discussions with the late Professor Ewan Fordyce, they analyzed three bones (humerus, femur, and ulna) found by Professor Fordyce in the Hakataramea Valley, South Canterbury.

Dr. Ando said, “Pakudyptes fills a gap between modern and ancient penguins. The shape of the wing bones differed significantly, and how penguin wings evolved was unclear.

The humerus and ulna show how penguin wings have changed. Interestingly, Pakudyptes has shoulder joints like modern penguins but elbow joints like older fossil penguins. It’s the first fossil with this mix and is key to understanding penguin wing evolution.

Co-author Dr. Carolina Loch from Otago’s Faculty of Dentistry said “bone analysis shows Pakudyptes had diving features similar to modern penguins. Modern penguins swim well due to their dense bones. Pakudyptes had a thick bone cortex and open medullary cavity, like the little blue penguin.”

Image showing Top: Comparison of elbow joints in Pakudyptes and the little penguin. Pakudyptes has an angled wing. Bottom: A reconstructed image of Pakudyptes, one of the smallest penguins. It was 30-35 cm in height and weighed about 1kg.
Top: Comparison of elbow joints in Pakudyptes and the little penguin. Pakudyptes has an angled wing. Bottom: A reconstructed image of Pakudyptes, one of the smallest penguins. It was 30-35 cm in height and weighed about 1kg.

This combination of bones helped Pakudyptes dive and swim. Muscle and ligament attachment points on bones like the humerus and ulna show how the wings were used underwater. Fossil penguins were usually about 1m tall, and Pakudyptes’ small size and unique bones added to the ecological diversity of modern penguins.

The study concludes that the Pakudyptes fossil is crucial for understanding penguin wing evolution. It shows a unique mix of modern and ancient features, helping scientists see how penguins’ wings developed for diving and swimming. This discovery fills an essential gap in the evolutionary history of penguins.

Journal reference :

  1. Tatsuro Ando, Jeffrey Robinson, et al., A new tiny fossil penguin from the Late Oligocene of New Zealand and the morphofunctional transition of the penguin wing. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. DOI:10.1080/03036758.2024.2362283.
Up next

An important new fossil of the oldest known modern bird

New clues delve into the age-old question: Does a duck always look like a duck and quack like a duck?

Breakthrough: Hydrogel injections increase bone density rapidly

The results offer hope for future fracture prevention therapies in osteoporosis patients.
Recommended Books
Infinite Cosmos: Visions From the James Webb Space Telescope
Ethan Siegel

Infinite Cosmos: Visions From the James Webb Space Telescope

Book By
National Geographic
Picks for you

Cockroach milk might be the next superfood, study

Bermuda Triangle mystery ‘solved,’ scientists claim

Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

Enhancing the body’s antiviral immune response to fight aging

Human skin has evolved to be as durable and flexible as...