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Fossil of 5-foot tall penguin unearthed in Peru

By Isabel Guerra

(10/01/2010)The ancestors of the penguins we know nowadays didn't have black and white tux-like feathers, but reddish-brown and grey, according to American scientists who have studied a giant penguin fossil unearthed in Peru.

This species, which has been called Inkayacu paracasensis or “King of the water,” used to live in Peru 36 million of years ago, was found in the Paracas reserve.

Almost five feet tall (1.5 meters), the Inkayacu was one of the largest penguins ever to have lived, and was twice the size of an Emperor penguin, the largest penguin living today.

"Before this fossil, we had no evidence about the feathers, colors and flipper shapes of ancient penguins. We had questions and this was our first chance to start answering them," said Dr. Julia Clarke, paleontologist at the University of Texas and lead author of a report about the discovery.

"The analysis of the bones proves that this fossil belongs to an adult individual, which is a surprise since brown and grey feathers are today associated to juveniles,” says Dr. Dan Ksepka, from the University of North Carolina.

Inkayacu paracasensis was discovered by a Peruvian student, Ali Altamirano, in Reserva Nacional de Paracas, Peru.