The genus ''Pygoscelis'' ("rump-legged") contains three living species of
penguins collectively known as "brush-tailed penguins".
Taxonomy
Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA evidence suggests the genus split from other penguins around 38 million years ago, about 2 million years after the ancestors of the genus ''
Aptenodytes
The genus ''Aptenodytes'' contains two extant species of penguins collectively known as "the great penguins".
Etymology
The name "Aptenodytes" is a composite of Ancient Greek elements, "ἀ-πτηνο-δύτης" (without-wings-diver).
Taxon ...
''. In turn, the Adelie penguins split off from the other members of the genus around 19 million years ago.
;Extant species
A 2020 study found that the gentoo penguin may actually comprise a
species complex
In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...
of 4 similar but genetically distinct species: the northern gentoo penguin (''P. papua''), the southern gentoo penguin (''P. ellsworthi''), the eastern gentoo penguin (''P. taeniata''), and the newly-described South Georgia gentoo penguin (''P. poncetii''). However, in 2021 the
International Ornithological Congress
International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations".
International may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* ''International'' (New Order album), 2002
* ''International'' (The T ...
recognized these as being
subspecies of ''P. papua''.
A study has estimated that there are about 3.79 million pairs of Adélie, 387,000 pairs of gentoo, and 8 million pairs of chinstrap penguins in their particular areas, making up 90% of Antarctic avian biomass (Black, C. E. 2016).
;Fossil species
* ''
Pygoscelis grandis'' (
Bahía Inglesa Formation, Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of Bahía Inglesa, Chile)
* ''
Pygoscelis calderensis'' (Bahía Inglesa Formation, Late Miocene of Bahía Inglesa, Chile)
* ''
Pygoscelis tyreei'' (Pliocene of New Zealand)
The latter two are tentatively assigned to this genus.
References
{{Authority control
Bird genera
Penguins