Palaeospheniscus wimani

Taxobox
name = "Palaeospheniscus wimani"
status = fossil
fossil_range = Early Miocene
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Sphenisciformes
familia = Spheniscidae
subfamilia = Palaeospheniscinae
genus = "Palaeospheniscus"
species = "P. wimani"
binomial = "Palaeospheniscus wimani"
binomial_authority = (Ameghino, 1905)
synonyms =
*"Perispheniscus wimani" Ameghino, 1905
*"Palaeospheniscus robustus" ("partim") Simpson, 1946

The extinct penguin "Palaeospheniscus wimani" is a member of the genus "Palaeospheniscus" which belonged to the prehistoric subfamily Palaeospheniscinae. It was the largest member of its genus, being just as large as the Magellanic Penguin of today (to which it is quite unrelated).

A fairly large number of fossil bones has been found, some of which are tentatively assigned to this species. They are from the Early Miocene of the Patagonian Molasse Formation. The specimens from known localities were collected near Trelew and Gaiman in Chubut Province, Argentina.

As there is not much notable difference apart from size, this species is sometimes considered a synonym of "Palaeospheniscus patagonicus".

Carl Wiman is honored by the binomen "wimani". He was one of the foremost researcher of prehistoric penguins in the early 20th century.

References

* Amegino, Florentino (1905): Enumeracion de los impennes fósiles de Patagonia y de la Isla Seymour. "An. Mus. Nac. Buenos Aires" 3(6): 97-167, 4 figures, 8 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]