5-Foot Penguin Fossil Discovered | National Geographic

the story really starts when we started

the story really starts when we started going to Peru so there were these

going to Peru so there were these

going to Peru so there were these incredible fossils we first discovered

incredible fossils we first discovered

incredible fossils we first discovered them in 2006 that started changing our

them in 2006 that started changing our

them in 2006 that started changing our ideas about penguin evolution so 36

ideas about penguin evolution so 36

ideas about penguin evolution so 36 million years ago Peru is a very

million years ago Peru is a very

million years ago Peru is a very different place they’re no Andes there’s

different place they’re no Andes there’s

different place they’re no Andes there’s sort of proto Mountains we have a series

sort of proto Mountains we have a series

sort of proto Mountains we have a series of what appear to be islands and lagoons

of what appear to be islands and lagoons

of what appear to be islands and lagoons and now we have evidence of multiple

and now we have evidence of multiple

and now we have evidence of multiple species of very sizable penguins this

species of very sizable penguins this

species of very sizable penguins this animal would have had a swimming length

animal would have had a swimming length

animal would have had a swimming length of approximately 1.5 meters and the

of approximately 1.5 meters and the

of approximately 1.5 meters and the giant penguin schoo is like this long

giant penguin schoo is like this long

giant penguin schoo is like this long and it was actually a student an

and it was actually a student an

and it was actually a student an undergraduate student Ally Altamirano

undergraduate student Ally Altamirano

undergraduate student Ally Altamirano who found the fossil and noted that

who found the fossil and noted that

who found the fossil and noted that unusually there seemed to be scale

unusually there seemed to be scale

unusually there seemed to be scale impressions on the foot and immediately

impressions on the foot and immediately

impressions on the foot and immediately this sort of prompted kind of incredible

this sort of prompted kind of incredible

this sort of prompted kind of incredible excitement because no one’s ever seen

excitement because no one’s ever seen

excitement because no one’s ever seen the scales preserved in any or any kind

the scales preserved in any or any kind

the scales preserved in any or any kind of evidence of soft tissue in a fossil

of evidence of soft tissue in a fossil

of evidence of soft tissue in a fossil penguin and then we took the fossil back

penguin and then we took the fossil back

penguin and then we took the fossil back to the lab and meticulously removing

to the lab and meticulously removing

to the lab and meticulously removing flakes of rock from around the specimen

flakes of rock from around the specimen

flakes of rock from around the specimen I was lucky enough right near one of the

I was lucky enough right near one of the

I was lucky enough right near one of the wings to uncover what was clearly the

wings to uncover what was clearly the

wings to uncover what was clearly the tip of a feather

tip of a feather

tip of a feather it’s our first insight into what are the

it’s our first insight into what are the

it’s our first insight into what are the series of early modifications in the

series of early modifications in the

series of early modifications in the feathering closer to this transition to

feathering closer to this transition to

feathering closer to this transition to basically flying underwater in the

basically flying underwater in the

basically flying underwater in the origin of penguins what the new fossil

origin of penguins what the new fossil

origin of penguins what the new fossil shows us is that modifications occurred

shows us is that modifications occurred

shows us is that modifications occurred in the shape of these feathers really

in the shape of these feathers really

in the shape of these feathers really early on and these tiny tiny feathers

early on and these tiny tiny feathers

early on and these tiny tiny feathers that have been described as scale like

that have been described as scale like

that have been described as scale like or scale shaped create a very

or scale shaped create a very

or scale shaped create a very streamlined contour to the front of the

streamlined contour to the front of the

streamlined contour to the front of the wing the primary feathers are densely

wing the primary feathers are densely

wing the primary feathers are densely packed

packed

packed they’ve lost this distinctive

they’ve lost this distinctive

they’ve lost this distinctive asymmetrical organization we see here

asymmetrical organization we see here

asymmetrical organization we see here and kind of more dramatically we see a

and kind of more dramatically we see a

and kind of more dramatically we see a dense packing of primary feathers

dense packing of primary feathers

dense packing of primary feathers whereas living birds have give or take

whereas living birds have give or take

whereas living birds have give or take 10 primary feathers in the wing penguins

10 primary feathers in the wing penguins

10 primary feathers in the wing penguins have more like 20 and they’re stacked

have more like 20 and they’re stacked

have more like 20 and they’re stacked one on top of the other to create a

one on top of the other to create a

one on top of the other to create a stiffened flipper so that all of these

stiffened flipper so that all of these

stiffened flipper so that all of these change

change

change have happened really early in penguin

have happened really early in penguin

have happened really early in penguin evolution by the divergence the

evolution by the divergence the

evolution by the divergence the branching off of our giant penguin so

branching off of our giant penguin so

branching off of our giant penguin so coincidentally around the same time we

coincidentally around the same time we

coincidentally around the same time we are finding the first evidence of

are finding the first evidence of

are finding the first evidence of feathers in this giant penguin other

feathers in this giant penguin other

feathers in this giant penguin other colleagues are making the discovery that

colleagues are making the discovery that

colleagues are making the discovery that fossil feathers can preserve evidence of

fossil feathers can preserve evidence of

fossil feathers can preserve evidence of their color what the feathers contain

their color what the feathers contain

their color what the feathers contain are imprints of color imparting

are imprints of color imparting

are imprints of color imparting organelles in the feather and what they

organelles in the feather and what they

organelles in the feather and what they in fact record is the shape and size and

in fact record is the shape and size and

in fact record is the shape and size and packing of these organelles called

packing of these organelles called

packing of these organelles called mallanna’s ohms that contain melanin all

mallanna’s ohms that contain melanin all

mallanna’s ohms that contain melanin all living penguins have this distinct black

living penguins have this distinct black

living penguins have this distinct black and white tuxedo like appearance and the

and white tuxedo like appearance and the

and white tuxedo like appearance and the fossil is in gray tone and reddish brown

fossil is in gray tone and reddish brown

fossil is in gray tone and reddish brown this is only the second color map of an

this is only the second color map of an

this is only the second color map of an extinct vertebrate that is mammal or

extinct vertebrate that is mammal or

extinct vertebrate that is mammal or bird though only the second time we’ve

bird though only the second time we’ve

bird though only the second time we’ve been able to reconstruct color in an

been able to reconstruct color in an

been able to reconstruct color in an extinct organism penguins are quite

extinct organism penguins are quite

extinct organism penguins are quite different from what we imagine them to

different from what we imagine them to

different from what we imagine them to be sort of in movies or what we see

be sort of in movies or what we see

be sort of in movies or what we see today that there’s this really rich

today that there’s this really rich

today that there’s this really rich history in penguins that we are just

history in penguins that we are just

history in penguins that we are just beginning to understand