Penguins fossil shows massive change in species after dinosaur extinction

Scientists have discovered a missing link that help in understanding how penguins evolved in to a species that inhabits in Antarctica after extinction of Disaurs. Scientists claim discovery of fossils from five partial skeletons which show that penguins evolved quickly after extinction of disaurs. study was published on December 9, in journal Palaeontologia Electronica.

Discovered fossils are of Kupoupou stilwelli species

According to study fossils belong to five partial skeletons which were found on Chatham Islands near New Zealand's South Island. newly discovered fossils are of Kupoupou stilwelli species which is kwn as oldest penguin which resembled modern penguin in its size. Kupoupou means "diving bird" in Moriori langu which is indegenious to Moriori people of Chatham Islands. According to study, penguins used to live 60 to 62.5 million years ago, which accounts for time period after extinction of disaurs 66 million years ago. During that time re were polar ice caps in South Pole and oceans were tropical and subtropical. 

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Jacob Blokland, study author and a PhD palaeontology candidate at Flinders University said , “Next to its colossal human-sized cousins, including recently described monster penguin Crossvallia waiparensis, Kupoupou was comparatively small, bigger than modern King Penguins, which stands just under 1.1 meters [3.6 feet] tall,". He furr ded that, "Kupoupou also h proportionally shorter legs than some or early fossil penguins. In this respect, it was more like penguins of today, meaning it would have walked on land."

research revealed that ancient penguin like modern ones evolved skills to perform best under water. y also discovered that first ever penguins shared similar hind limbs and foot shape to modern penguins. Researchers are trying to establish a link between ancient penguin fossil which y discovered from South Island's eastern coast, which is 497 miles from Chatham Islands.

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fossils establish that penguins evolved much afters after extinction of disaurs. “We think it's likely that ancestors of penguins diverged from line leing to ir closest living relatives -- such as albatross and petrels -- during Late Cretaceous period, and n many different species sprang up after disaurs were wiped out," according to study. It furr ds, "It's t impossible that penguins lost ability to fly and gained ability to swim after extinction event 66 million years ago, implying birds underwent huge changes in a very short time. If we ever find a penguin fossil from Cretaceous period, we'll kw for sure."

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