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Antarctica is the southernmost continent on Earth, home to up to 5,000 dedicated researchers studying the history of the Earth and the effects of climate change at temperatures as low as -90 ° C. The number of animals that populate the continent as well ice is scarce: mites, nematodes, seals and rare birds have been identified and documented over the years. By far the most common creature remains found are from the penguin: of the 17 species recorded over the years, only the emperor and Adelie inhabit the region around the year.
However, the discovery of an extinct animal on the island of Seymour has left scientists shocked.
Professor David Walton of the British Antarctic Survey detailed how a team discovered a species known as Palaeeudyptes klekowskii that once towered more than six feet during an interview on BBC Radio 4’s “In Our Time”.
He said: “As an ecologist, history is written in fossils.
“We know there were dinosaurs there and we know there were giant penguins too – six feet tall in fact.
“We rebuilt a penguin from a single metatarsal that was found – it’s amazing what you can do with a bone.
“So we know it was a much more interesting continent previously.”
The bones found date back to 37 million years ago and new studies show that the species could have measured almost double the height of today’s emperor penguins.
Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche of the Museo La Plata in Argentina estimated that the penguin would have weighed around 19 stones, which presumably would have given it the ability to stay underwater longer.
READ MORE: Antarctic “notable” species “new to science” discovered 1,000 meters below the ice
In the ocean, penguins’ black backs camouflage birds from both predator and prey swimming above.
Experts suspect that the color change would affect the bird’s survival, although there are no studies to support the theory.
Although penguins have wings and feathers, they cannot fly instead, they have evolved into the most efficient swimmers and divers of all birds.
Some species spend 75% of their time at sea, most of the birds.
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