Paleontologists in New Zealand have unearthed the fossilized remains of a giant prehistoric penguin that stood over five feet tall. The species, which lived approximately 55 million years ago, was roughly the size of a human adult and weighed nearly 100 kilograms.
This discovery provides evidence that penguins evolved into giant forms shortly after the extinction of the dinosaurs, occupying ecological niches left vacant by large marine reptiles. The find helps scientists understand the rapid diversification of birds in the early Paleogene period.