''Perudyptes'' is a

basal Basal or basilar is a term meaning ''base'', ''bottom'', or ''minimum''. Science * Basal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location for features associated with the base of an organism or structure * Basal (medicine), a minimal level that is nec ...

penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...

from the Middle Eocene Paracas Formation of

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

.''Perudyptes''
at

Fossilworks Fossilworks is a portal which provides query, download, and analysis tools to facilitate access to the Paleobiology Database The Paleobiology Database is an online resource for information on the distribution and classification of fossil animals ...

.org The genus name ''Perudyptes'' is named after the country, while the species name ''devriesi''

Thomas DeVries Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

, a

Vashon Island High School Vashon Island High School (VHS) is a public high school located on Vashon Island, Washington. Vashon Island High School, a part of the Vashon Island School District, is the only high school to serve the island. VHS runs 9th through 12th grade. The ...

science teacher who has long worked in Peru.

Description

''Perudyptes devriesi'' is a basal penguin from the Middle Eocene ( Mustersan, ~42 Ma)

Paracas Formation Paracas or ''variation'', may refer to: Places * Paracas Peninsula, located in the Ica Region of Peru * Paracas Bay, located in the Pisco Province of the Ica Region in Peru * Paracas (municipality), the capital city of the Paracas District * Parac ...

of Peru. This new discovery is able to fill a major phylogenetic and stratigraphic (~20 million year) gap between the earliest fossil penguins (''

Waimanu manneringi ''Waimanu'' is a genus of early penguin which lived during the Paleocene, soon after the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, around 62–60 million years ago. It was about the size of an emperor penguin (1 metre). It is one of the most impor ...

'' and '' Muriwaimanu tuatahi'', ~58–61.6 Ma) and the next oldest partial skeletons. The skull of ''Perudyptes'' is characterized by deep temporal fossae and an elongate, narrow beak that differs from other reported stem penguins in its short mandibular symphysis. The wing skeleton of Perudyptes preserves a combination of plesiomorphic features also observed in the basal penguin ''Waimanu'' and derived features shared with more crownward penguins.

References

Extinct penguins Eocene birds of South America Mustersan Paleogene Peru Fossils of Peru Fossil taxa described in 2007 {{paleo-bird-stub