Paraptenodytes

Taxobox
name = "Paraptenodytes"
status = fossil
fossil_range = Early- Late Miocene/Early Pliocene
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Sphenisciformes
familia = Spheniscidae
subfamilia = Paraptenodytinae
genus = "Paraptenodytes"
genus_authority = Ameghino, 1891
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = "Paraptenodytes antarcticus" (type) "Paraptenodytes robustus" "Paraptenodytes brodkorbi" (disputed)
synonyms ="Metancylornis" Ameghino, 1905 "Isotremornis" Ameghino, 1905 "Treleudytes" Ameghino, 1905

"Paraptenodytes" is an extinct genus of penguins which contains two or three species sized between a Magellanic Penguin and a small Emperor Penguin ("P. antarcticus"). They are known from fossil bones ranging from a partial skeleton and some additional material in the case of "P. antarcticus", and a single humerus in the case of "P. brodkorbi". The latter species is therefore often considered invalid; a recent studyBertelli "et al." (2006)] considers it indeed valid, but distinct enough not to belong into "Paraptenodytes". The fossils were found in the Santa Cruz and Chubut Provinces of Patagonia, Argentina, in Patagonian Molasse Formation rocks of Early Miocene age; later occurrences are apparently from Late Miocene or possibly even Early Pliocene deposits [Stucchi "et al." (2003)] .

Together with the related genus "Arthrodytes", they form the subfamily Paraptenodytinae, which is not an ancestor of modern penguins.

Footnotes

References

* (1891): Enumeración de las aves fósiles de la Repúiblica Argentina. "Revista Argentina de Historia Natural" 1: 441-445.
* (2006): Redescription and Phylogenetic Position of the Early Miocene Penguin "Paraptenodytes antarcticus" from Patagonia. "American Museum Novitates" 3525: 1-36. DOI: 10.1206/0003-0082(2006)3525 [1:RAPPOT] 2.0.CO;2 [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/5802/1/N3525.pdf PDF fulltext]
* (1946): Fossil penguins. "Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History" 87: 7-99. [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/392/1/B087a01.pdf PDF fulltext]
* (1971): Conspectus of Patagonian fossil penguins. "American Museum Novitates" 2488: 1-37. [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/2696/1/N2488.pdf PDF fulltext]
* (2003): Una nueva especie de Spheniscidae del Mioceno Tardío de la Formación Pisco, Perú. "Bulletin Institut Français d'Études Andines" 32(2): 361-375. [http://redalyc.uaemex.mx/redalyc/pdf/126/12632206.pdf PDF fulltext]