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Pachydyptes Fossil range: Late Eocene |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Sphenisciformes |
| Family: | Spheniscidae |
| Subfamily: | Palaeeudyptinae |
| Genus: | Pachydyptes Oliver, 1930 |
| Species: | P.
ponderosus |
| Binomial name | |
| Pachydyptes
ponderosus Oliver, 1930 |
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| Synonyms | |
Pachydyptes is an extinct genus of penguin. It contains the single species Pachydyptes ponderosus, the New Zealand Giant Penguin. This taxon is known from a few bones from Late Eocene (34 to 37 MYA) rocks in the area of Otago, and a fine specimen found near Kawhia, New Zealand, in January 2006.
With a height of 140 to 160 cm (about 5 ft) and weighing around 80 to possibly over 100 kg, it was the second-tallest penguin ever, surpassed only by Anthropornis nordenskjoeldi in height, but probably not in weight.
Pachydyptes was slightly larger than Icadyptes salasi, the best-identified of the giant penguins.
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