Human-sized 'monster penguin' unearthed in New Zealand fossil find
A prehistoric penguin around the size of a person has been discovered in New Zealand.
The fossilised bones of a "monster penguin" -- that's according to Canterbury Museum -- were found in North Canterbury, north of Christchurch, in 2018, by Leigh Love, an amateur palaeontologist.
The remains indicate that Crossvallia waiparensis was about 1.6 metres tall (5 feet, 3 inches) -- nearly as tall as the average human -- and weighed between 70 and 80 kilograms (between 154 and 176lb).
For comparison, that's about 40 centimetres taller than emperor penguins, the biggest contemporary species, tend to get, and around the same height as a fully grown Scarlett Johansson.
Look at this staunch fellow.
Imagine getting a slap from one of those skateboard-sized flippers. (Side note regarding the above image: I would like to know more about this lady's leather palazzo pants, and also the history between her and the monster penguin, because that is a loaded look with more to it than just an understandable wariness of that beak.)
The monster penguin lived during the Paleocene, between 66 and 56 million years ago. It's both one of the oldest and one of the biggest penguin species ever discovered -- but it's the second giant Paleocene penguin discovered. The other, Crossvalia unienwillia, was discovered in Antarctica in 2000.
The discovery backs up the theory that early penguins were, speaking scientifically, dang huge -- in part because even huger marine reptiles became extinct at about the same time as the dinosaurs did.
"Then, for 30 million years, it was the time of the giant penguins," Dr Paul Scofield, the museum's senior curator, told the BBC.
You can check out Canterbury Museum's interactive 3D model of the monster penguin here.
Topics Animals
Caitlin is Mashable's Australian Editor. She has written for The Guardian, Junkee, and any number of plucky little music and culture publications that were run on the smell of an oily rag and have since been flushed off the Internet like a dead goldfish by their new owners. She also worked at Choice, Australia's consumer advocacy non-profit and magazine, and as such has surprisingly strong opinions about whitegoods. She enjoys big dumb action movies, big clever action movies, cult Canadian comedies set in small towns, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Replacements, smoky mezcal, revenge bedtime procrastination, and being left the hell alone when she's reading.
