Penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is found north of the Equator. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage and flippers for swimming. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid and other forms of sea life which they catch with their bills and swallow it whole while swimming. A penguin has a spiny tongue and powerful jaws to grip slippery prey.
Leiopelma is a genus of New Zealand primitive frogs, belonging to the suborder Archaeobatrachia. It is the only genus in the monotypic family Leiopelmatidae. The leiopelmatids' relatively basal form indicates they have an ancient lineage. While some taxonomists have suggested combining the North American frogs of the genus Ascaphus in the family Ascaphidae with the New Zealand frogs of the genus Leiopelma in the family Leiopelmatidae, the current consensus is that these two groups constitute two separate families. The four extant species of Leiopelmatidae are only found in New Zealand.
The genus Aptenodytes contains two extant species of penguins collectively known as "the great penguins".
The bush moa, little bush moa, or lesser moa is an extinct species of moa from the family Emeidae.
Korora oliveri, also referred to as Oliver's penguin, is a genus and species of extinct penguin from the Waitakian Stage of New Zealand. It was relatively small and slender, similar in size to one of the larger crested penguins. The penguin was described by Brian Marples in 1952 from fossil material he collected in the Hakataramea Valley, in the Canterbury region of the South Island. The genus name Korora is the Māori term for the extant little penguin. The specific epithet honours Walter Oliver (1883–1957) a former director of the Dominion Museum.
Pygoscelis tyreei, also referred to as Tyree's penguin, is an extinct species of penguin from New Zealand. It was slightly smaller than the extant gentoo penguin, standing 70 to 80 cm high. Of Late Pliocene age, it is known only from fossil remains collected from Motunau Beach, North Canterbury.
Aptenodytes ridgeni, also referred to as Ridgen's penguin, is an extinct species of penguin from the Pliocene of New Zealand. It was intermediate in size between its living congeners, standing an estimated 90–100 cm tall. The remains were first found in 1968 on a Canterbury region beach by 11-year-old schoolboy Alan Ridgen.
The Pelagornithidae, commonly called pelagornithids, pseudodontorns, bony-toothed birds, false-toothed birds or pseudotooth birds, are a prehistoric family of large seabirds. Their fossil remains have been found all over the world in rocks dating between the Early Paleocene and the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary.
Manu antiquus is a species of extinct bird of uncertain affinities from the Oligocene of New Zealand. It was described by Brian Marples in 1946 from fossil material found near Duntroon, north Otago, in the South Island. Marples suggested that it might be an early albatross; subsequent researchers have speculated that it could be a pelagornithid; however, its affinities remain uncertain. The genus name Manu is Māori for “bird”; the specific epithet antiquus is Latin for “old” or “ancient”.
Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 1983.
Pseudodontornis is a rather disputed genus of the prehistoric pseudotooth birds. The pseudotooth birds or pelagornithids were probably rather close relatives of either pelicans and storks, or of waterfowl, and are here placed in the order Odontopterygiformes to account for this uncertainty. Up to five species are commonly recognized in this genus.
The North Island giant moa is an extinct moa in the genus Dinornis.
Scarlett's shearwater is an extinct species of seabird in the petrel family Procellariidae. Its common name commemorates New Zealand palaeontologist Ron Scarlett, who recognised the bird's subfossil remains represented a distinct species.
The Manawapou River is a river of the Taranaki Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows southwest, from its origins in rough hill country to the northeast of Hāwera, to reach the South Taranaki Bight between Hāwera and Patea.
The Tangahoe River is a river of the Taranaki Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows generally southwest from its origins in hill country to the east of Lake Rotorangi, reaching the Tasman Sea in the South Taranaki Bight 5 km (3.1 mi) southeast of Hawera.
Manuherikia is a genus of extinct species of ducks from the Miocene of New Zealand. It was described from fossil material of the Saint Bathans Fauna, in the lower Bannockburn Formation of the Manuherikia Group, found by the Manuherikia River in the Central Otago region of the South Island. The genus name comes from the name of the geological formation in which the fossils were found and, ultimately, from the Manuherikia River and its valley.
Marplesornis novaezealandiae, also referred to as Harris's penguin is a genus and species of extinct penguin from New Zealand. It was a relatively large penguin, about the same size as a king penguin. The age of the only known specimen is uncertain, being often mentioned as Late Pliocene in age. However, due to the complex geology of the collection site, its actual age is somewhere between Early Miocene and Late Pliocene.
Duntroonornis parvus, also referred to as the Duntroon penguin, is a genus and species of extinct penguin from the Late Oligocene of New Zealand. The penguin was relatively small, similar in size to the Fiordland crested penguin. It was described by Brian Marples in 1952 from fossil material collected near Duntroon, from the Kokoamu Greensand Formation, near the border between the Canterbury and Otago regions of the South Island. Fossils found at the Hakataramea Valley may also be referrable to this species. The genus name Duntroonornis means "Duntroon bird". The specific epithet is the Latin parvus ("small").
Pleistorallus flemingi, also referred to as Fleming's rail, is a genus and species of extinct bird in the rail family from the Middle Pleistocene of New Zealand. It was a large and stout rail about the same size as the extant takahē. It was described by Trevor Worthy in 1997 from fossil material found in coastal deposits near Marton, in the Rangitikei District of the North Island. The genus name Pleistorallus refers to the Pleistocene age of the fossils; the specific epithet honours Charles Fleming (1916–1987) for his contributions to New Zealand ornithology and palaeontology.
