Palaeospheniscus patagonicus

Taxobox
name = "Palaeospheniscus patagonicus"
status = fossil
fossil_range = Early Miocene
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Sphenisciformes
familia = Spheniscidae
subfamilia = Palaeospheniscinae
genus = "Palaeospheniscus"
species = "P. patagonicus"
binomial = "Palaeospheniscus patagonicus"
binomial_authority = Moreno & Mercerat, 1891
synonyms =
*"Palaeospheniscus menzbieri" Moreno & Mercerat, 1891
*"Palaeospheniscus interruptus" Ameghino, 1905
*"Palaeospheniscus intermedius" Ameghino, 1905
*"Palaeospheniscus affinis" Ameghino, 1905

"Palaeospheniscus patagonicus" is the type species of the penguin genus "Palaeospheniscus", which is known from fossils. It stood about 65-75 cm high in life, roughly the size of an African Penguin.

This species is known from several dozen bones, found in Early Miocene strata of the Patagonian Molasse Formation. The specimens from known localities were collected near Trelew and Gaiman in Chubut Province, Argentina.

Currently, there is some debate about whether "Palaeospheniscus wimani" is a synonym of this species or not.

References

* Moreno, Francisco "Perito" & Mercerat, A. (1891): Catálogo de los pájaros fósiles de la República Argentina conservados en el Museo de La Plata. "Anales del Museo de La Plata" 1: 7-71, 21 plates.
* Simpson, George Gaylord (1946): Fossil penguins. "Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist." 87: 7-99. [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/392/1/B087a01.pdf PDF fulltext]
* Simpson, George Gaylord (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]