A recently discovered extinct species of penguin is believed to be the largest and heaviest that has ever been found by scientists.
Penguins are flightless birds and most under 4 feet in height.
However, a recently discovered extinct species of penguin is believed to be the largest and heaviest that has ever been found by scientists.
Fossilized remains of mega penguin bones were discovered by researchers from Argentina’s La Plata Museum that are working on Seymour Island, located on the point of Antarctica closest to South America.
When the mega penguin was alive 37 to 40 million years ago, there were between ten to 14 different species of penguins that lived together in the Antarctic region.
Among those species was mega penguin, which was taller than most humans, measuring around an estimated 6 feet 8 inches tall, and weighing more than 250 pounds.
Previous to the discovery of the mega penguin’s fossil, another extinct species of penguin was thought to be the largest that ever lived.
Larger penguins can reportedly stay underwater longer and dive deeper than smaller penguins, which allows them to hunt and eat more fish.
One expert says that estimates of how large the mega penguin was might not be accurate because of differences between ancient and modern penguin skeletons.
