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Man-Size Penguin
Illustration courtesy Katie Browne, U.T. Austin
The 36-million-year-old giant penguin species Inkayacu paracasensis stood nearly as tall as a man and sported shades of red and gray (pictured in an artist's reconstruction), scientists announced Thursday. Read the full story >>
Published September 30, 2010
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Splash of Red
Illustration courtesy Katie Browne, U.T. Austin
Unlike today's black-and-white penguins, the ancient species' leading wing edge was gray, and its underwings were reddish brown, according to study leader Julia Clarke, a paleontologist at the University of Texas at Austin. Read the full story >>
Published September 30, 2010
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Fossil Clues
Diagram courtesy Science/AAAS
Fossils found in Peru in 2007 (pictured) enabled scientists to imagine the intact skeleton (inset) of the ancient penguin species. Read the full story >>
Published September 30, 2010
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In Fine Feather
Photograph courtesy N. Adam Smith, U.T. Austin
Researcher Julia Clarke (pictured) recently helped recover wing feathers and smaller body feathers from fossils of the extinct, 5-foot-tall (150-centimeter-tall) penguin species. Today's biggest living penguin species, the emperor, is just under 4 feet (120 centimeters) tall. Read the full story >>
Published September 30, 2010
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True Colors
Photograph courtesy Science/AAAS
The team made the feather-color discovery when they compared microscopic pigment packets, called melanosomes, in the fossil feathers (pictured) to melanosomes of modern birds and penguins. Based on the fossil melanosomes' shapes, size, and organization, the scientists were able to infer the feathers' original colors. Read the full story >>
Published September 30, 2010
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Spreading Their Wings
Diagram courtesy Science/AAAS
The penguin study, published this week in the journal Science, marks the first time feathers (top, a photo of the wing-feather fossil) and preserved scales from an ancient penguin have been found. As part of the research, scientists took samples of the from various locations on the wing (marked as red dots in the above line drawing). Read the full story >>
Published September 30, 2010
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Penguin Hunting
Photograph courtesy N. Adam Smith
Researchers work at the Peru fossil site in an undated photo. Inkayacu paracasensis was found relatively near at least two other giant prehistoric penguins. Read the full story >>
Published September 30, 2010
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