| Waiparadyptes Temporal range: Early Paleocene (Danian), ~ | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Clade: | Austrodyptornithes |
| Order: | Sphenisciformes |
| Genus: | † Waiparadyptes Mayr et al., 2025 |
| Species: | †W. gracilitarsus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Waiparadyptes gracilitarsus Mayr et al., 2025 | |
Waiparadyptes (meaning "Waipa [Greensand] diver") is a genus of extinct penguins known from the Paleocene (Thanetian age) Waipara Greensand of New Zealand. The genus contains a single species, Waiparadyptes gracilitarsus, known from a partial skeleton including a partial skull and mandible, as well as a partial left humerus and tarsometatarsus. Waiparadyptes has a surprisingly slender tarsometatarsus, while most early-diverging penguins have short and robust tarsometatarsi. [1]
Waiparadyptes 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 Archaeodyptes , Daniadyptes , Muriwaimanu , Sequiwaimanu , Waimanu , and Waimanutaha . [1]
