Penguin

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Penguins)
For other uses, see Penguin (disambiguation).

Penguins

Temporal range: Late Danian-

Recent, 62–0 Ma

PreꞒ

C
 P

Pg

Possible Cretaceous origin according to

molecular data[1][2][3]

Penguin species of different genera;

from top-left, clockwise: Emperor

penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri), snares

penguin (Eudyptes robustus), little

penguin (Eudyptula minor), yellow-

eyed penguin (Megadyptes

antipodes), gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis

papua), African penguin (Spheniscus

 demersus)

Scientific classification

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Clade: Dinosauria

Clade: Saurischia

Clade: Theropoda

Clade: Avialae

Clade: Austrodyptornithes

Order: Sphenisciformes
Sharpe, 1891

Family: Spheniscidae
Bonaparte, 1831

Modern genera

Aptenodytes
Eudyptes
Eudyptula
Megadyptes
Pygoscelis
Spheniscus
For prehistoric genera,
 see Systematics

Breeding range of penguins, all species

(aqua); some species have wider

seasonal migration ranges

Penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds from the order Sphenisciformes (/sfɪ
ˈnɪsəfɔːrmiːz/) of the family Spheniscidae (/sfɪˈnɪsɪdiː, -daɪ/).[4] They live almost
exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is
found north of the Equator. Highly adapted for life in the ocean water, penguins
have countershaded dark and white plumage and flippers for swimming. Most penguins
feed on krill, fish, squid and other forms of sea life which they catch with their bills and
swallow whole while swimming. A penguin has a spiny tongue and powerful jaws to grip
slippery prey.[5]
They spend about half of their lives on land and the other half in the sea. The largest
living species is the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri):[6] on average, adults are
about 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) tall and weigh 35 kg (77 lb). The smallest penguin species is
the little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor), also known as the fairy penguin, which stands
around 30–33 cm (12–13 in) tall and weighs 1.2–1.3 kg (2.6–2.9 lb).[7] Today, larger
penguins generally inhabit colder regions, and smaller penguins inhabit regions with
temperate or tropical climates. Some prehistoric penguin species were enormous: as
tall or heavy as an adult human. There was a great diversity of species
in subantarctic regions, and at least one giant species in a region around 2,000 km
south of the equator 35 mya, during the Late Eocene, a climate decidedly warmer than
today.[8]

Etymology
 A group of emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri)
in Antarctica
The word penguin first appears in literature at the end of the 16th century.[9] When
European explorers discovered what are today known as penguins in the Southern
Hemisphere, they noticed their similar appearance to the great auk of the Northern
Hemisphere and named them after this bird, although they are not closely related.[10]
The etymology of the word penguin is still debated. The English word is not apparently
of French,[9] Breton[11] or Spanish[12] origin (the latter two are attributed to the French
word pingouin), but first appears in English or Dutch.[9]
Some dictionaries suggest a derivation from Welsh pen, 'head' and gwyn, 'white',
[13]
including the Oxford English Dictionary, the American Heritage Dictionary,
[14]
the Century Dictionary[14] and Merriam-Webster,[15] on the basis that the name was
originally applied to the great auk, either because it was found on White Head
Island (Welsh: Pen Gwyn) in Newfoundland, or because it had white circles around its
eyes (though the head was black).
An alternative etymology links the word to Latin pinguis, which means 'fat' or 'oil'.
[16]
Support for this etymology can be found in the alternative Germanic word for
penguin, fettgans or 'fat-goose', and the related Dutch word vetgans.
Adult male penguins are sometimes called cocks, females sometimes called hens; a
group of penguins on land is a waddle, and a group of penguins in the water is a raft.
Pinguinus
Main article: Great auk
Since 1871, the Latin word Pinguinus has been used in scientific classification to name
the genus of the great auk (Pinguinus impennis, meaning "plump or fat without flight
feathers"),[17] which became extinct in the mid-19th century. As confirmed by a 2004
genetic study, the genus Pinguinus belongs in the family of the auks (Alcidae), within
the order of the Charadriiformes.[18][19]
The birds currently known as penguins were discovered later and were so named by
sailors because of their physical resemblance to the great auk. Despite this
resemblance, however, they are not auks, and are not closely related to the great auk. [10]
[17]
They do not belong in the genus Pinguinus, and are not classified in the same family
and order as the great auk. They were classified in 1831 by Charles Bonaparte in
several distinct genera within the family Spheniscidae and order Sphenisciformes.
Systematics and evolution
Living and recently extinct species

Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) feeding young. Like

its relatives, a neatly bi-coloured species with a head marking.

Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus). The

closed neck collar denotes this species. Southern

rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) displaying its distinctive crest

Two king penguins and one gentoo penguin on a beach

on South Georgia, British overseas territory
The number of extant penguin species is debated. Depending on which authority is
followed, penguin biodiversity varies between 17 and 20 living species, all in
the subfamily Spheniscinae. Some sources consider the white-flippered penguin a
separate Eudyptula species, while others treat it as a subspecies of the little blue
penguin;[20][21] the actual situation seems to be more complicated.[22] Similarly, it is still
unclear whether the royal penguin is a separate species or merely a color morph of
the macaroni penguin. The status of the rockhopper penguins is also unclear.
Updated after Marples (1962),[23] Acosta Hospitaleche (2004),[24] and Ksepka et al. (2006).
[3]

Subfamily Spheniscinae – modern penguins

Image Genus Species

 King penguin, Aptenodytes

Aptenodytes Miller, JF, patagonicus
1778 – great penguins  Emperor penguin, Aptenodytes
forsteri

 Adélie penguin, Pygoscelis

adeliae
Pygoscelis Wagler, 1832 –  Chinstrap penguin, Pygoscelis
brush-tailed penguins antarcticus
 Gentoo penguin, Pygoscelis
papua

 Little penguin, Eudyptula

minor
Eudyptula Bonaparte, 1856 –
 Australian little
little penguins
penguin, Eudyptula
novaehollandiae
  Magellanic
penguin, Spheniscus
magellanicus
 Humboldt penguin, Spheniscus
Spheniscus Brisson 1760 – humboldti
banded penguins
 Galápagos penguin, Spheniscus
mendiculus
 African penguin, Spheniscus
demersus

 Yellow-eyed
Megadyptes Milne-Edwards, penguin, Megadyptes antipodes
1880  †Waitaha penguin, Megadyptes
waitaha (extinct, disputed)[25]

 Fiordland penguin, Eudyptes

pachyrhynchus
 Snares penguin, Eudyptes
robustus
 Erect-crested
penguin, Eudyptes sclateri
 Southern rockhopper
Eudyptes Vieillot, 1816 – penguin, Eudyptes chrysocome
crested penguins  Northern rockhopper
penguin, Eudyptes moseleyi
 Royal penguin, Eudyptes
schlegeli (disputed)
 Macaroni penguin, Eudyptes
chrysolophus
 †Chatham penguin, Eudyptes
warhami (extinct)

Fossil genera
Basal Sphenisciformes

Note
Species Source
s

Waimanu manneringi Slack et al. 2006

Muriwaimanu tuatahi Mayr et al. 2017

Sequiwaimanu roseae Mayr et al. 2017

Crossvallia unienwillia Jadwiszczak et al. 2013

?Crossvallia
Mayr et al. 2019
waiparensis

Petradyptes stonehousei Ksepka et al. 2023

Kaiika maxwelli Fordyce & Thoman 2011

Kumimanu biceae Mayr et al. 2017

Kumimanu fordecyi Ksepka et al. 2023

Kupoupou stilwelli Blokland et al. 2019

Advanced Sphenisciformes

Species Notes Source

Anthropornis nordenskjoldii Jadwiszczak et al. 2002

Anthropornis grandis Jadwiszczak et al. 2002

UCMP 321021 (Anthropornis
Ksepka & Clarke, 2010
sp.)

Palaeeudyptes antarcticus

Palaeeudyptes marplesi

Palaeeudyptes klekowskii Jadwiszczak et al. 2002

May represent the opposite sex of P.

Palaeeudyptes gunnari Jadwiszczak et al. 2002
klekowskii [1]

Chilean Palaeeudyptes

Burnside "Palaeeudyptes" Ksepka & Clarke, 2010

Duntroon "Palaeeudyptes" Ksepka & Clarke, 2010

Archaeospheniscus lowei Giovanardi et al. 2021

Archaeospheniscus lopdelli Giovanardi et al. 2021

Notodyptes wimani Formerly Archaeospheniscus Giovanardi et al. 2021

Delphinornis larseni Jadwiszczak et al. 2002

Delphinornis gracilis Jadwiszczak et al. 2002

Delphinornis arctowskii Jadwiszczak et al. 2002

Mesetaornis polaris Jadwiszczak et al. 2002

Marambiornis exilis Jadwiszczak et al. 2002

Aprosdokitos mikrotero Hospitaleche et al. 2017

Perudyptes devriesi Ksepka & Clarke, 2010

Hospitaleche & Tambussi,

Eretiscus tonni
2008

Palaeospheniscus Hospitaleche & Tambussi,

patagonicus 2008

Hospitaleche & Tambussi,

Palaeospheniscus bilocular
2008

Hospitaleche & Tambussi,

Palaeospheniscus bergi
2008

Hospitaleche & Tambussi,

Paraptenodytes antarcticus
2008

Hospitaleche & Tambussi,

Arthrodytes andrewsi
2008

Hospitaleche & Tambussi,

Madrynornis mirandus
2008

Pachydyptes simpsoni Park & Fitzgerald, 2012

Pachydyptes ponderosus Giovanardi et al. 2021

 Anthropodyptes gilli Park & Fitzgerald, 2012

Pseudaptenodytes macraei Park & Fitzgerald, 2012

Marambiornopsis sobrali Jadwiszczak et al. 2021

Icadyptes salasi Clarke et al. 2007

Kairuku waewaeroa Giovanardi et al. 2021

Kairuku grebneffi Giovanardi et al. 2021

Kairuku waitaki Giovanardi et al. 2021

Glenn Murray Kairuku Giovanardi et al. 2021

Platydyptes novaezealandiae Giovanardi et al. 2021

Platydyptes marplesi Giovanardi et al. 2021

Inkayacu paracasensis Clarke et al. 2010

Extinct Species of Extant Genera

Species Notes Source

Spheniscus megaramphus Hospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008

Spheniscus urbinai Hospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008

Spheniscus chilensis Hospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008

Spheniscus muizoni Hospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008

Pygoscelis grandis Hospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008

Pygoscelis tyreei

Pygoscelis calderensis Hospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008

Eudyptes atatu Thomas et al. 2020

Eudyptes warhami Cole et al. 2019

Eudyptes calauina Hoffmeister et al. 2014

Eudyptula wilsonae Thomas et al. 2023

Megadyptes antipodes
Cole et al. 2019
richdalei

Megadyptes antipodes waitaha Cole et al. 2019

Aptenodytes ridgeni

Poorly Understood Taxa

Species Notes Source

Dege hendeyi

Inguza predemersus
 Duntroonornis parvus

Nucleornis insolitus

Marplesornis
novaezealandiae

Korora oliveri

Paraptenodytes robustus

Platydyptes amiesi

"Pakudyptes hakataramea" Also called the "Hakataramea Penguin" Ando, 2007 (unpublished)

Invalid Taxa

Species Notes Source

Tonniornis Named on an isolated humerus which is unable to be compared Ksepka & Clarke,
mesetaensis to other species present in the same locality. 2010

Named on an isolated humerus which is unable to be compared

Tonniornis Ksepka & Clarke,
to other species present in the same locality. Similar size to a
minimum 2010
specimen referred to Delphinornis larseni.

Genus is a nomen dubium due to lack of identifiable traits, but

Tereingaornis
the specimen may belong to a new species (the Te Ringa Falls Thomas et al. 2019
moisleyi
Penguin)

Wimanornis
Synonymous with Palaeeudypytes gunnari
seymourensis

Orthopteryx gigas Hospitaleche and

 Reguero, 2010

Hospitaleche and
Ichtyopteryx gracilis
Reguero, 2010

Palaeoapterodytes
Hospitaleche, 2010
ictus

Psuedaptenodytes Park & Fitzgerald,

Lack of diagnostic characteristics on the holotype
minor 2012

The Early Oligocene genus Cruschedula was formerly thought to belong to

Spheniscidae; however, re-examination of the holotype in 1943 resulted in the genus
being placed in Accipitridae.[26] Further examination in 1980 resulted in placement as
Aves incertae sedis.[27]