| Archaeodyptes Temporal range: early Late Paleocene (Thanetian), ~ | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Clade: | Austrodyptornithes |
| Order: | Sphenisciformes |
| Genus: | † Archaeodyptes Mayr et al., 2025 |
| Species: | †A. waitahaorum |
| Binomial name | |
| †Archaeodyptes waitahaorum Mayr et al., 2025 | |
Archaeodyptes (meaning "old diver") is a genus of extinct penguins known from the Paleocene (Thanetian age) Waipara Greensand of New Zealand. The genus contains a single species, Archaeodyptes waitahaorum, known from a partial skeleton including skull bones. It is comparable in size to the modern yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes). [1]
Archaeodyptes is one of many early-diverging sphenisciforms from the Waipara Greensand, all of which represent some of the oldest known penguins in the fossil record. The other named genera include Daniadyptes , Muriwaimanu , Sequiwaimanu , Waimanu , Waimanutaha , and Waiparadyptes . [1]
