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World's Largest Penguin Fossils Found in New Zealand

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The largest known penguin ever was a 340-pound species, named Kumimanu fordycei, which lived in the oceans around New Zealand more than 50 million years ago.

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Scientists found bones of K. fordycei, as well as another new species named Petradyptes stonehousei, on a New Zealand beach.

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The discovery was made by Alan Tennyson, a paleontologist at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

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The team used laser scanners to create models of the fossils, which they compared to other species of birds.

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Emperor penguins, the largest penguins alive today, weigh between 55 to 100 pounds, while P. stonehousei weighed about 110 pounds.

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After the dinosaurs went extinct, several species of giant penguins populated Australia and New Zealand.

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Their larger size helped conserve heat in cold waters and ward off predators.

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Penguins reached their maximum body size very early in their evolutionary history, shortly after losing their ability to fly.

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They also had more primitive and less-paddle-like flippers compared to modern penguins.

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K. fordycei is one of the most intriguing fossil birds ever found and future discoveries may shed more light on its biology.

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