Palaeeudyptes Temporal range:
| |
---|---|
Huxley’s original illustration of the fossil of an ankle bone from Palaeeudyptes antarcticus described in 1859. | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Sphenisciformes |
Family: | Spheniscidae |
Subfamily: | †Palaeeudyptinae |
Genus: | †Palaeeudyptes Huxley, 1859[1] |
Type species | |
Palaeeudyptes antarcticus Huxley, 1859
| |
Species | |
Palaeeudyptes antarcticus | |
Synonyms | |
Palaeeudyptes is an extinct genus of large penguins, currently containing four accepted species. They were probably larger than almost all living penguins, with the smaller species being about the size of an emperor penguin, and the largest species, Palaeeudyptes klekowskii, estimated to reach 2 meters (6.6 ft) long (measuring tip of beak to tail) and weighed up to 116 kg (256 lb).[3]