Palaeeudyptes

| image_caption = [[Thomas Henry Huxley|Huxley]]’s original illustration of the fossil of an ankle bone from ”Palaeeudyptes antarcticus” described in 1859.

| image_caption = [[Thomas Henry Huxley|Huxley]]’s original illustration of the fossil of an ankle bone from ”Palaeeudyptes antarcticus” described in 1859.

| taxon = Palaeeudyptes

| taxon = Palaeeudyptes

| authority = [[Thomas Henry Huxley|Huxley]], 1859<ref name=”Huxley, 1859″>Huxley, Thomas Henry (1859): On a fossil bird and a fossil cetacean from New Zealand. ”Quart. Jour. Geol. Soc. London” ”’15”’: 670–677.</ref>

| authority = [[Thomas Henry Huxley|Huxley]], 1859<ref name=”Huxley, 1859″>{{cite journal|last=Huxley|first=Thomas Henry|author-link=Thomas Henry Huxley|date=February 1859|title=On a Fossil Bird and a Fossil Cetacean from New Zealand|journal=Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London|issn=0370-291X|volume=15|issue=1–2|pages=670–677|doi=10.1144/GSL.JGS.1859.015.01-02.73}}</ref>

| type_species = ”[[Palaeeudyptes antarcticus]]”

| type_species = ”[[Palaeeudyptes antarcticus]]”

| type_species_authority = [[Thomas Henry Huxley|Huxley]], 1859

| type_species_authority = [[Thomas Henry Huxley|Huxley]], 1859

”[[Palaeeudyptes klekowskii]]”

”[[Palaeeudyptes klekowskii]]”

| synonyms =

| synonyms =

”Eosphaeniscus” <small>[[Carl Wiman|Wiman]], 1905</small>

”Eosphaeniscus” <small>[[Carl Wiman|Wiman]], 1905</small>{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

}}

}}

””’Palaeeudyptes””’ is an [[extinct]] [[genus]] of large [[penguin]]s, currently containing four accepted [[species]]. They were probably larger than almost all living penguins, with the smaller species being about the size of an [[emperor penguin]] and the largest ones having stood about 2 metres tall.<ref>http://cordis.europa.eu/news/rcn/121419_en.html</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hospitaleche|first=Carolina Acosta|last2=Reguero|first2=Marcelo|date=May–June 2014|title=”Palaeeudyptes klekowskii”, the best-preserved penguin skeleton from the Eocene–Oligocene of Antarctica: Taxonomic and evolutionary remarks|url=https://www.academia.edu/18517159/Palaeeudyptes_klekowskii_the_best_preserved_penguin_skeleton_from_the_Eocene_Oligocene_of_Antarctica_Taxonomic_and_evolutionary_remarks|journal=[[Geobios]]|volume=47|issue=3|pages=77–85|doi=10.1016/j.geobios.2014.03.003}}</ref>

””’Palaeeudyptes””’ is an [[extinct]] [[genus]] of large [[penguin]]s, currently containing four accepted [[species]]. They were probably larger than almost all living penguins, with the smaller species being about the size of an [[emperor penguin]] and the largest ones having stood about 2 metres {{Convert|2|metres|feet}} tall.<ref>{{Cite web|date=7 August 2014|title=Trending science: The giant prehistoric penguin|url=https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/115419-trending-science-the-giant-prehistoric-penguin|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514024202/http://cordis.europa.eu/news/rcn/121419_en.html|archive-date=14 May 2016|publisher=[[CORDIS]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hospitaleche|first=Carolina Acosta|last2=Reguero|first2=Marcelo|date=May–June 2014|title=”Palaeeudyptes klekowskii”, the best-preserved penguin skeleton from the Eocene–Oligocene of Antarctica: Taxonomic and evolutionary remarks|url=https://www.academia.edu/18517159/Palaeeudyptes_klekowskii_the_best_preserved_penguin_skeleton_from_the_Eocene_Oligocene_of_Antarctica_Taxonomic_and_evolutionary_remarks|journal=[[Geobios]]|volume=47|issue=3|pages=77–85|doi=10.1016/j.geobios.2014.03.003}}</ref>

== Classification ==

== Classification ==

=== Known species ===

=== Known species ===

Of the four species, two (”P. gunnari” and ”P. klekowskii”) are known from numerous remains found in Middle or Late [[Eocene]] strata (34 to 50 [[mya (unit)|MYA]]) of the [[La Meseta Formation]] on [[Seymour Island]], [[Antarctica]]. ”P. antarcticus”, the first [[fossil]] penguin described, is only really known from a single incomplete [[tarsometatarsus]] found in the Late [[Oligocene]] [[Otekaike Limestone]] (23 to 28, possibly up to 34 [[mya (unit)|MYA]]) at [[Kakanui]], [[New Zealand]], but numerous other bones have been tentatively assigned to the species. The other described New Zealand species, ”P. marplesi”, is known from parts of a skeleton, mainly leg bones, from the Middle or Late [[Eocene]] [[Burnside Mudstone]] (34 to 40 [[mya (unit)|MYA]]) at [[Burnside, Otago|Burnside, Dunedin]]. To this species also a number of additional remains have been tentatively assigned. The problem with the indeterminate New Zealand specimens is that they at least in part are intermediate in size between the two species.<ref name=”Simpson, 1971″>Simpson, George Gaylord (1971): A review of the pre-Pleistocene penguins of New Zealand. ”Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History” ”’144”’: 319–378. [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/1086/1/B144a05.pdf PDF fulltext]</ref> It may be that ”P. marplesi” simply evolved into the smaller ”P. antarcticus”. Bones unassignable to species also were found on Seymour Island, but in these cases they seem to be from juvenile individuals or are simply too damaged to be of diagnostic value.<ref name=”Jadwiszczak, 2006″>Jadwiszczak, Piotr (2006): Eocene penguins of Seymour Island, Antarctica: Taxonomy. ”Polish Polar Research” ”’27”'(1): 3–62. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070724203259/http://www.polish.polar.pan.pl/ppr27/ppr27-003.pdf PDF fulltext]</ref>

Of the four species, two (”P. gunnari” and ”P. klekowskii”) are known from numerous remains found in Middle or Late [[Eocene]] strata (34 to 50 [[mya (unit)|MYA]]) of the [[La Meseta Formation]] on [[Seymour Island]], [[Antarctica]]. ”P. antarcticus”, the first [[fossil]] penguin described, is only really known from a single incomplete [[tarsometatarsus]] found in the Late [[Oligocene]] [[Otekaike Limestone]] (23 to 28, possibly up to 34 MYA) at [[Kakanui]], [[New Zealand]], but numerous other bones have been tentatively assigned to the species. The other described New Zealand species, ”P. marplesi”, is known from parts of a skeleton, mainly leg bones, from the Middle or Late [[Eocene]] [[Burnside Mudstone]] (34 to 40 MYA) at [[Burnside, Otago|Burnside, Dunedin]]. To this species also a number of additional remains have been tentatively assigned. The problem with the indeterminate New Zealand specimens is that they at least in part are intermediate in size between the two species.<ref name=”Simpson, 1971″>{{Cite journal|last=Simpson|first=George Gaylord|author-link=George Gaylord Simpson|date=23 June 1971|title=A review of the pre-Pleistocene penguins of New Zealand|url=http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/1086/1/B144a05.pdf|url-status=dead|journal=[[Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History]]|volume=144|pages=319–378|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070811015629/http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/1086/1/B144a05.pdf|archive-date=11 August 2007}}</ref> It may be that ”P. marplesi” simply evolved into the smaller ”P. antarcticus”. Bones unassignable to species also were found on Seymour Island, but in these cases they seem to be from juvenile individuals or are simply too damaged to be of diagnostic value.<ref name=”Jadwiszczak, 2006″>{{Cite journal|last=Jadwiszczak|first=Piotr|date=2006|title=Eocene penguins of Seymour Island, Antarctica: Taxonomy|url=http://www.polish.polar.pan.pl/ppr27/ppr27-003.pdf|url-status=dead|journal=Polish Polar Research|volume=27|issue=1|pages=3–62|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070724203259/http://www.polish.polar.pan.pl/ppr27/ppr27-003.pdf|archive-date=24 July 2007}}</ref>

In addition, an incomplete right [[tibiotarsus]] ([[South Australian Museum]] P10862) and one left [[humerus]] (South Australian Museum P7158) and assignable to this genus were found in the Late Eocene [[Blanche Point Marls]] at [[Witton Bluff]] near [[Adelaide]], [[Australia]].<ref name=”Simpson, 1946″>Simpson, George Gaylord (1946): Fossil penguins. ”Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist.” ”’87”’: 7–99. [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/392/1/B087a01.pdf PDF fulltext]</ref><ref name=”Simpson, 1971″/> Additionally, an incomplete humerus identified as ”Palaeeudyptes” was recovered in southernmost Chile,<ref name=”Sallabery et al., 2010″>Sallaberry, M., Yury-Yáñez, R., Otero, R. A., Soto-Acuña, S., and Torres G.,T. (2010): Eocene Birds from the Western Margin of Southernmost South America. Journal of Paleontology; November 2010; v. 84; no. 6; p.&nbsp;1061-1070; {{doi|10.1666/09-157.1}} [http://jpaleontol.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/84/6/1061]</ref> from middle to late Eocene beds of the Río Turbio Formation, near Puerto Natales, 200&nbsp;km south from Torres del Paine National Park.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

In addition, an incomplete right [[tibiotarsus]] ([[South Australian Museum]] P10862) and one left [[humerus]] (South Australian Museum P7158) and assignable to this genus were found in the Late Eocene [[Blanche Point Marls]] at [[Witton Bluff]] near [[Adelaide]], [[Australia]].<ref name=”Simpson, 1946″>{{Cite journal|last=Simpson|first=George Gaylord|author-link=George Gaylord Simpson|date=8 August 1946|title=Fossil Penguins|url=http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/392/1/B087a01.pdf|url-status=dead|journal=[[Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History]]|volume=87|pages=7–99|archive–url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221111236/http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/392/1/B087a01.pdf|archive-date=21 February 2007}}</ref><ref name=”Simpson, 1971″/> Additionally, an incomplete humerus identified as ”Palaeeudyptes” was recovered in southernmost Chile,<ref name=”Sallabery et al., 2010″>{{Cite journal|last=Sallabery|first=Michel A.|last2=Yury-Yáñez|first2=Roberto E.|last3=Otero|first3=Rodrigo A.|last4=Soto-Acuña|first4=Sergio|last5=Torres G.|first5=Teresa|date=November 2010|title=Eocene Birds from the Western Margin of Southernmost South America|url=http://www.anilloantartico2.uchile.cl/doc/Sallaberry.pdf|url-status=live|journal=[[Journal of Paleontology]]|volume=84|issue=6|pages=1061–1071|doi=10.1666/09-157.1|jstor=40925983|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211012163918/http://www.anilloantartico2.uchile.cl/doc/Sallaberry.pdf|archive-date=12 October 2021|via=the [[University of Chile]]}}</ref> from middle to late Eocene beds of the Río Turbio Formation, near Puerto Natales, {{Convert|200|km|mi|abbr=on}} south from Torres del Paine National Park.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

=== Phylogeny ===

=== Phylogeny ===