Palaeeudyptinae

Palaeeudyptinae
Temporal range: Middle/Late Eocene -? Middle Miocene
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Sphenisciformes
Family: Spheniscidae
Subfamily: †Palaeeudyptinae
Simpson, 1946
Genera

Palaeeudyptes
Archaeospheniscus
Anthropornis
Pachydyptes
Platydyptes
and see article text

Synonyms

Anthropornithidae Simpson, 1946

Palaeeudyptinae, the giant penguins, is a paraphyletic subfamily of prehistoric penguins. It includes several genera of medium-sized to very large species, such as Icadyptes salasi, Palaeeudyptes marplesi, Anthropornis nordenskjoeldi, and Pachydyptes ponderosus. Icadyptes reached 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) in height, while members of Palaeeudyptes and Anthropornis grew even taller and were some of the largest penguins to have ever existed. The massive P. ponderosus may have weighed at least as much as an adult human.