-
Categories
-
Pharmaceutical Intermediates
-
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients
-
Food Additives
- Industrial Coatings
- Agrochemicals
- Dyes and Pigments
- Surfactant
- Flavors and Fragrances
- Chemical Reagents
- Catalyst and Auxiliary
- Natural Products
- Inorganic Chemistry
-
Organic Chemistry
-
Biochemical Engineering
- Analytical Chemistry
-
Cosmetic Ingredient
- Water Treatment Chemical
-
Pharmaceutical Intermediates
Promotion
ECHEMI Mall
Wholesale
Weekly Price
Exhibition
News
-
Trade Service
Picture: Kairuku waewaeroa, the giant penguin
.
Image Credit: Simone Giovanardi
Researchers at Massey University discovered a new species of giant penguin fossils discovered by New Zealand pupils in the peer-reviewed Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
.
The fossil record of penguins can be traced back to the age of dinosaurs, and the oldest penguin was found in Aotearoa
.
Although there have been important discoveries in Taranaki and Waikato recently, most of the penguin fossils from Zealand are from Otago and Canterbury
In 2006, a group of students from the Hamilton Youth Natural Science Club (JUNATS) went on a field trip to search for fossils in Port Khuaia.
Led by the club’s fossil expert Chris Templer, they found a huge Penguin fossil
Researchers from Massey University and the Bruce Museum (Connecticut, USA) visited the Waikato Museum to analyze the bone fossils of ancient penguins
.
The team used 3D scans as part of their investigation and compared the fossils with digital versions of bones around the world
Dr.
Daniel Thomas, a senior lecturer in zoology at Massey University’s School of Natural and Computational Sciences, said that the fossil’s age was between 27.
3 million and 34.
6 million years ago, and it came from a time when most parts of Waikato were underwater
.
"This penguin is very similar to the giant Kailuku penguin originally found on Otago Island, but their legs are much longer.
Researchers once named this penguin waewaeroa-Te reo Māori, which means'long legs.
'
.
"These longer legs make the penguin much taller than other Kailuku penguins when walking on land, possibly 1.
"It is my honor to contribute to the story of this incredible penguin
.
We know how important this fossil is to many people," he added
"There are many reasons why kaiuku waewaeroa is symbolic
.
This fossil of a penguin reminds us that we have an incredible animal lineage with Sealand.
Mike Safi, chairman of the Hamilton Youth Natural History Club, said that the children involved will remember this event for life
.
"The opportunity to discover and save this huge penguin fossil is a rare privilege for the kids in our club
.
We always encourage young people to explore and enjoy the outdoors
Steffan Safey participated in the discovery and rescue mission
.
"Knowing that a discovery made in our childhood years ago has contributed to the academic world
is a bit surreal .
It is even a new species! Little is known about the existence of giant penguins in New Zealand, so I know that this group is continuing to study and It’s great to know more about them
.
Obviously it’s worth it to spend a day cutting it out of sandstone!"
Dr.
Esther Dyer, a plant ecologist who now lives in Switzerland, is also there
.
"Participating in the discovery of such a large, relatively complete fossil is exciting enough, let alone a new species!" I am very happy to see that we can learn about the evolution of penguins and life in New Zealand
.
"
Alvin Dyer helped retrieve the fossil
.
"In retrospect, this is definitely a bit surreal — definitely my
bucket list moment .
After joining JUNATS, we have some iconic stories of amazing discoveries and special experiences — excavating a huge penguin fossil It must be there! This is a true testament to all the parents and volunteers who have devoted their time and resources to creating unique and memory-forming club members
.
"
Taly Matthews is a long-term member of the Hamilton Junior Naturalist Club, and he works in Taranki's nature conservation department
.
However, finding a giant penguin fossil is another level
.
As more and more giant penguin fossils are discovered, we can fill more gaps
.
This is very exciting
.
"
A paper entitled "Giant Oligocene Penguin Fossils from the North Island of New Zealand" published today in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology gives further details on this research
.
The study described the Kailuku penguin as a new fossil penguin and provided a more complete picture of the diversity of giant penguins
.
The research was led by PhD student Simone Giovanardi, Dr.
Daniel Ksepka from the Bruce Museum, and Dr.
Daniel Thomas from Massey University
.
DOI
10.
1080 / 02724634.
2021.
1953047
