| Perudyptes | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Sphenisciformes |
| Family: | Spheniscidae |
| Genus: | †Perudyptes Clarkeet al., 2007 |
| Species: | †P. devriesi |
| Binomial name | |
| †Perudyptes devriesi Clarkeet al., 2007 | |
Perudyptes is abasalpenguin from theMiddle Eocene Paracas Formation ofPeru.[1][2][3] The genus namePerudyptes is named after the country, while the species namedevriesiThomas DeVries, aVashon Island High School science teacher[4] who has long worked in Peru.
Perudyptes devriesi is a basal penguin from the Middle Eocene (Mustersan, ~42 Ma)Paracas Formation of Peru. This new discovery is able to fill a major phylogenetic and stratigraphic (~20 million year) gap between the earliest fossil penguins (Waimanu manneringi andMuriwaimanu tuatahi, ~58–61.6 Ma) and the next oldest partial skeletons.[3]
The skull ofPerudyptes is characterized by deep temporal fossae and an elongate, narrow beak that differs from other reported stem penguins in its short mandibular symphysis. The wing skeleton of Perudyptes preserves a combination of plesiomorphic features also observed in the basal penguinWaimanu and derived features shared with more crownward penguins.[2]
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
 | Thisprehistoric bird article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
 | ThisSphenisciformes-related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
