Kumimanu

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Kumimanu
Temporal range: Paleocene, 56–60  Ma
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Kumimanu NT.jpg
Life restoration of Kumimanu biceae
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Sphenisciformes
Genus:† Kumimanu
Mayr et al., 2017
Type species
†Kumimanu biceae
Mayr et al., 2017
Species
  • †K. biceaeMayr et al., 2017
  • †K. fordyceiKsepka et al., 2023

Kumimanu is an extinct genus of giant penguin, which lived around 56 to 60 million years ago. The type species is K. biceae, which arose after the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs. [1] Fossils were found in New Zealand, and the discovery was announced in December 2017. [1] A second species, Kumimanu fordycei, was named in February 2023. [2]

Contents

Discovery and naming

The Kumimanu fossil material were found by a group of researchers from the Hampden Beach of Otago, on the South Island of New Zealand. The fossils are from the Paleocene Waipara Greensand formation. The fossils were studied by a New Zealand and German team, led by Gerald Mayr of the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum. He was the lead author of an article on the subject published online in December 2017. [1]

The generic name Kumimanu means "monster bird" in Māori language, while the specific name biceae honours Beatrice ("Bice") A. Tennyson who is the mother of one of the authors, Alan J. D. Tennyson. [1]

Kumimanu fordycei is named based on a large specimen from the late Palaeocene Moeraki Formation, dating to 55.5–59.5 million years ago. [2] It was found by palaeontologist Alan Tennyson in 2017. [3] The species name honours palaeontologist Ewan Fordyce. [4]

Description

Kumimanu is one of the largest known penguins. K. biceae is estimated to have reached 177 cm (5.81 ft) in total length from the tip of the beak to tail, and weighed around 101 kg (223 lb). [1] Its size is surpassed only by Palaeeudyptes , which reached a total length of up to 2 m (6.6 ft) and a body mass of 116 kg (256 lb). [5] Kumimanu is older than all other previously found remains of penguins which reached 'giant' sizes, and thus allows scientists to better understand the evolution of penguins' size. [1] The second species K. fordycei is significantly larger, with an estimated weight of 148–159.7 kg (326–352 lb). [2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mayr, Gerald; Scofield, R. Paul; De Pietri, Vanesa L.; Tennyson, Alan J. D. (12 December 2017). "A Paleocene penguin from New Zealand substantiates multiple origins of gigantism in fossil Sphenisciformes". Nature Communications. 8 (1): 1927. Bibcode:2017NatCo...8.1927M. doi:10.1038/s41467-017-01959-6. PMC   5727159 . PMID   29233963.
  2. 1 2 3 Ksepka, Daniel T.; Field, Daniel J.; Heath, Tracy A.; Pett, Walker; Thomas, Daniel B.; Giovanardi, Simone; Tennyson, Alan J. D. (8 February 2023). "Largest-known fossil penguin provides insight into the early evolution of sphenisciform body size and flipper anatomy". Journal of Paleontology. 97 (2): 434–453. Bibcode:2023JPal...97..434K. doi: 10.1017/jpa.2022.88 . ISSN   0022-3360. S2CID   256709376.
  3. ↑ Tamisiea, Jack (8 February 2023). "The Biggest Penguin That Ever Existed Was a 'Monster Bird'". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  4. ↑ Publisher, LiveNews (9 February 2023). "Paleontology powerhouse honoured by former students | LiveNews.co.nz". Live News. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  5. ↑ Acosta Hospitaleche, Carolina (2014-10-01). "New giant penguin bones from Antarctica: Systematic and paleobiological significance". Comptes Rendus Palevol. 13 (7): 555–560. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2014.03.008. hdl: 11336/32571 . ISSN   1631-0683.
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