Fossil shows tall, reddish penguin once roamed Peru

[Judi Lynn]

Feather find is stroke of luck; they are rarely preserved.

Fossil shows tall, reddish penguin once roamed Peru
ASSOCIATED PRESS | Posted: Friday, October 1, 2010 12:00 am

WASHINGTON • Some ancient penguins may have been twice as big as today's Emperor penguin — but they lacked the dashing tuxedo.

Researchers unearthed remains of a nearly 5-foot-tall penguin that roamed what is now Peru about 36 million years ago, and they also discovered fossilized feathers that show that, back then, the flightless bird was a more motley mix of reddish-brown and gray.

Thursday's report in the journal Science is more than a curiosity about color. Analyzing the fossil led to a new discovery about modern penguins, which in turn raises questions about how their feathers evolved to help them become such expert swimmers.

It's one of the largest penguins that ever lived, estimated to have been twice as heavy as the average Emperor penguin of today. The second species of giant penguin discovered in Peru, it was given the name Inkayacu paracasensis, or Water King, part of a cluster of now-extinct penguin species that apparently ranged over much of the Southern Hemisphere.

More:
http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/article_03995f18-604b-57ec-b9ff-248bb1d74964.html

http://cdn.physorg.com.nyud.net:8090/newman/gfx/news/fossilizedgi.jpg
Fossilized giant penguin feathers reveal color, feather structure of ancient birds (w/ Video)
September 30, 2010

http://www.physorg.com/news205075607.html

[mackerel]

1. Cool

[semillama]

6. It's quite awesome that a person with an Opus avatar was the first to respond. n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

2. Curiously, the creature appeared to have tentacle-like appendages ...

as well as electricity-generating organs.

[Orsino]

3. "Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!"

[Odin2005]

4. We found Big Bird!

[Swede]

5. Sure was an ugly sucker!