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1 June 2011 Aspects of Diversity in Early Antarctic Penguins
Piotr Jadwiszczak, Thomas Mörs
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Penguin bones from the Eocene La Meseta Formation (Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula) constitute the only extensive fossil record of Antarctic Sphenisciformes. Here, we synonymize some of the recognized genera (Anthropornis with Orthopteryx, Delphinornis with Ichtyopteryx) and species (Anthropornis nordenskjoeldi with Orthopteryx gigas, Delphinornis gracilis with Ichtyopteryx gracilis). Moreover, we suggest that Antarctic species of Anthropornis and Palaeeudyptes, so-called giant penguins, may in fact comprise only one species each instead of two, based on evidence of well-marked sexual dimorphism. We also present new estimates of body mass based on femora testifying to the impressive scope of interspecific body-size variation in Eocene Antarctic penguins.

Piotr Jadwiszczak and Thomas Mörs "Aspects of Diversity in Early Antarctic Penguins," Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 56(2), 269-277, (1 June 2011). https://doi.org/10.4202/app.2009.1107
Received: 19 August 2009; Accepted: 8 October 2010; Published: 1 June 2011
KEYWORDS
Antarctic Peninsula
Aves
body mass
Eocene
sexual dimorphism
Sphenisciformes
systematics
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