Kairuku

Extinct genus of birds

For the local-level government area in Papua New Guinea, see Kairuku Rural LLG.

Kairuku

Temporal range: late Oligocene

PreꞒ

Artist's impression of Kairuku
Scientific classification
Domain:  | Eukaryota
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Aves
Order:  | Sphenisciformes
Genus:  | †Kairuku
Ksepka, Fordyce, Ando & Jones, 2012
Type species
Kairuku waitaki

Ksepka, Fordyce, Ando & Jones, 2012

Species

* K. grebneffi Ksepka, Fordyce, Ando & Jones, 2012
* Kairuku waitaki Ksepka, Fordyce, Ando & Jones, 2012
* Kairuku waewaeroa Giovanardi, Ksepka & Thomas, 2021

Kairuku is an extinct genus of penguin.[1] It contains three species, K. grebneffi, K. waitaki [2] and K. waewaeroa.[3] This taxon is known from bones from 27 MYA (late Oligocene), from the Kokoamu Greensand Formation of New Zealand.[1] It was historically referred to as Palaeeudyptes.[1]

## Etymology

[edit]

The genus name Kairuku comes from the Māori words kai (“food”) and ruku (“to dive”).[1]

The species name waewaeroa is from Māori waewae - "legs", and roa - "long", referring to the elongated hind limbs.[3]

K. grebneffi was named after Andrew Grebneff, a paleontologist from the University of Otago who died in 2010.[4]

## Distribution

[edit]

The fossils of Kairuku waewaeroa were found within the Glen Massey formation (34.6–27.3 Ma) in the North Island of New Zealand.[3]

## Description

[edit]

Size comparation of various species of Kairuku.

Kairuku is one of the most completely known genus of Paleogene penguins. Described species are larger than modern emperor penguin which stood around a meter,[1] K. grebneffi stood 1.28 metres (4.2 ft) tall,[1] and K. waewaeroa is even larger with height up to 1.38 metres (4.5 ft).[3] Unnamed species called Glen Murray fossil penguin is estimated to have a height 2 to 20% taller than K. grebneffi.[5]

### Kairuku grebneffi

[edit]

Kairuku grebneffi were nearly 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) long and stood 1.3 metres (4.3 ft) tall.[4] Adult individuals weighed an estimated 60 kilograms (130 lb), 50% more than modern emperor penguins.[6] K. grebneffi had the longest humerus bone of any penguin extant or attested to in the fossil record.[4] The bird had a longer bill and more slender body compared to living penguins.[7] Relative to its body size, its flippers were longer and probably more flexible than those of extant species.[7][8] The bird had short, thick legs, but overall, looked much like a modern penguin "from a distance."[7][8] K. grebneffi is distinguished from its sister species K. waitaki primarily on the basis of vertebrae spacing and by having a straight tipped bill, compared to the curved tip of K. waitaki.[4] Additionally, all known specimens of K. grebneffi are larger, although small sample size prevents that from being a diagnostic characteristic.[4]

K. grebneffi likely used its slender beak to spear fish and squid.[7] It likely was able to dive deeper and swim farther than living penguins.[6] Predators of the bird likely included sharks and Squalodons.[7]

K. grebneffi lived in what is now New Zealand late in the Oligocene period, roughly 25–27 million years ago.[6] At the time, most of the area was ocean, with a few isolated islands.[6] It is believed that these rock outcrops provided safe breeding grounds and easy access to rich food resources in the surrounding seas.[6] K. grebneffi lived alongside at least four other penguin species. It is likely that each species fed on different kinds of fish.[9]

K. grebneffi was among of the last of the giant penguins.[7] The cause of K. grebneffi's extinction is unknown, but was probably related to "the drastic change in paleoenvironment" according to Tatsuro Ando, one of the scientists who classified the penguin.[7] Other possibilities include the arrival of new predators and increased food competition.[6]

### Kairuku waewaeroa

[edit]

The skeleton of the holotype is one of the most complete skeletons of giant penguins that have ever been found. Phylogenetic analysis reveals a clade that unites[clarification needed] New Zealand endemics Kairuku waewaeroa, Kairuku waitaki and Kairuku grebneffi. The probable height of K. waewaeroa is 1.38 m (4.5 ft), and the length of the body from the fingertips to the tip of the beak is 1.6 m (5.2 ft).[3][10]

## Discovery

[edit]

The first Kairuku bones were discovered in 1977 by Ewan Fordyce, although they were not identified as such at the time.[6][11] In February 2012, an international team of scientists led by Fordyce and Daniel Ksepka reconstructed a K. grebneffi skeleton using a few "key specimens" from the Kokoamu Greensand of the North Otago and South Canterbury districts of New Zealand.[4][6] The specimens used represent some of the most complete skeletons found of any extinct penguin, and thus provide valuable insight into the reconstruction of all extinct penguins.[4] The king penguin was used as a guide during reconstruction.[6]

The holotype of K. grebneffi was collected in 1991 from a drainage area of the Waipati stream, a tributary of the Maerewhenua River.[4]

Fossil remains of Kairuku waewaeroa, or Kawhia giant penguin, fossil remains were found in Kawhia Harbour on the North Island of New Zealand.[3][12]

## External links

[edit]

* First Full Look at Prehistoric New Zealand Penguin

## References

[edit]

* Paleontology portal

1. ^ a b c d e f Ksepka, Daniel T.; Fordyce, R. Ewan; Ando, Tatsuro; Jones, Craig M. (March 2012). "New fossil penguins (Aves, Sphenisciformes) from the Oligocene of New Zealand reveal the skeletal plan of stem penguins". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (2): 235–254. Bibcode:2012JVPal..32..235K. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.652051. JSTOR 41515052. S2CID 85887012.
2. ^ Giant Prehistoric Penguin was Bigger Than an Emperor | Observations, Scientific American Blog Network
3. ^ a b c d e f Giovanardi, Simone; Ksepka, Daniel T.; Thomas, Daniel B. (16 September 2021). "A giant Oligocene fossil penguin from the North Island of New Zealand". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 41 (3): e1953047. Bibcode:2021JVPal..41E3047G. doi:10.1080/02724634.2021.1953047.
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Ksepka, Daniel T.; Fordyce, R. Ewan; Ando, Tatsuro; Jones, Craig M. (March 2012). "New fossil penguins (Aves, Sphenisciformes) from the Oligocene of New Zealand reveal the skeletal plan of stem penguins". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (2): 235–254. Bibcode:2012JVPal..32..235K. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.652051. JSTOR 41515052. S2CID 85887012.
5. ^ Thomas, DB; Ksepka, DT (1 October 2016). "The Glen Murray fossil penguin from the North Island of New Zealand extends the geographic range of Kairuku". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 46 (3–4): 200–213. Bibcode:2016JRSNZ..46..200T. doi:10.1080/03036758.2016.1211541. ISSN 0303-6758. S2CID 132811234.
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Scientists reconstruct 'elegant' giant penguin that lived in New Zealand 26 million years ago". Dawn. Associated Press. 1 March 2012. Archived from the original on 6 July 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
7. ^ a b c d e f g Viegas, Jennifer (27 February 2012). "Ancient Penguin Weighed 130 Pounds". Discovery News. Discovery Channel. Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
8. ^ a b "Fossils show huge penguin once roamed New Zealand". Bangkok Post. Agence France-Presse. 28 February 2012. Archived from the original on 12 October 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
9. ^ Dell'Amore, Christine (27 February 2012). "Giant Prehistoric Penguins Revealed: Big but Skinny". National Geographic News. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
10. ^ "A mega-penguin stood tall on prodigious limbs". Nature. 597 (7878): 597. 21 September 2021. Bibcode:2021Natur.597R.597.. doi:10.1038/d41586-021-02562-y. S2CID 237594320.
11. ^ "Kairuku - a new "giant" Late Oligocene Penguin from New Zealand". University of Otago. 23 November 2015.
12. ^ Wetzel, Corryn (17 September 2021). "New Zealand Kids Discovered This Fossil of New Giant Penguin Species on a Field Trip". Smithsonian Magazine. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.

* v
* t
* e

Genera of penguins, petrels, and albatrosses and their extinct allies

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Chordata
* Class: Aves
* Infraclass: Neognathae
* Clade: Austrodyptornithes

Sphenisciformes

| incertae sedis|

* †Arthrodytes
* †Aprosdokitos
* †Kaiika
* †Kumimanu
* †Kupoupou
* †Muriwaimanu
* †Nucleornis
* †Orthopteryx
* †Pakudyptes
* †Petradyptes
* †Sequiwaimanu
* †Tonniornis
* †Waimanu
* †Wimanornis

|

Spheniscidae|

* †Crossvallia
* †Dege
* †Duntroonornis
* †Korora
* †Icadyptes
* †Inguza
* †Inkayacu
* †Kairuku
* †Marambiornopsis
* †Marplesornis
* †Palaeoapterodytes
* †Perudyptes
* †Pseudaptenodytes
* †Tasidyptes
* †Tereingaornis

| †Palaeospheniscinae |

* Eretiscus
* Palaeospheniscus

|

†Paraptenodytinae|

* Arthrodytes
* Paraptenodytes

†"Palaeeudyptinae"|

* Anthropodyptes
* Anthropornis
* Archaeospheniscus
* Delphinornis
* Marambiornis
* Mesetaornis
* Pachydyptes
* Palaeeudyptes
* Platydyptes

Spheniscinae|

* Aptenodytes
* Eudyptes
* Eudyptula
* †Madrynornis
* Megadyptes
* Pygoscelis
* Spheniscus

Procellariiformes

| incertae sedis|

* †Kievornis
* †Lonchodytes?
* †Makahala

|

†Diomedeoididae|

* Diomedeoides
* Rupelornis

†Marinavidae|

* Marinavis

†Tytthostonychidae|

* Tytthostonyx

Diomedeidae|

* †Aldiomedes
* †Diomedavus
* Diomedea
* †Murunkus
* †Notoleptos
* Phoebastria
* Phoebetria
* †Plotornis
* Thalassarche
* †Tydea

Oceanitidae|

* Fregetta
* Garrodia
* Nesofregetta
* Oceanites
* Pelagodroma

Hydrobatidae|

* Hydrobates

Procellariidae|

* Aphrodroma
* Ardenna
* †Argyrodyptes
* Bulweria
* Calonectris
* Daption
* †Eopuffinus
* Fulmarus
* Halobaena
* Macronectes
* Pachyptila
* Pagodroma
* Pelecanoides
* †Primodroma
* Procellaria
* Pseudobulweria
* Pterodroma
* †Pterodromoides
* Puffinus
* Thalassoica

Taxon identifiers

Kairuku|

* Wikidata: Q2247912
* Wikispecies: Kairuku
* EoL: 47444262
* GBIF: 8523699
* IRMNG: 1481947
* Paleobiology Database: 227463

Kairuku grebneffi|

* Wikidata: Q1953456
* Wikispecies: Kairuku grebneffi
* EoL: 47444264
* GBIF: 8546221
* NZBO: grebneffs-penguin
* Open Tree of Life: 6155242
* Paleobiology Database: 227466

Kairuku waewaeroa|

* Wikidata: Q108569244
* GBIF: 11377752
* NZBO: junats-penguin
* Paleobiology Database: 442256

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[†]: Extinct