Examination of bones found in New Zealand revealed that monster penguins standing as tall as adult humans and weighing as much as 176 pounds once swam the oceans, and terrorized sea life.
The revelation was made Wednesday by a group of New Zealand scientists based on bones found about 18 months ago near the South Island city of Christchurch. They believe the previously undiscovered species appeared about 60 million years ago when the extinction of dinosaurs and large marine reptiles presented them with opportunities to live longer lives and grow in size. The appearance of large marine mammals about 30 million years ago resulted in the penguins' extinction, scientists say.
The groundbreaking discovery was made by an amateur paleontologist who goes on bone-hunting treks as a hobby. "It wasn't until I got the fossils home and did a little preparation that I realized I had something completely different than what had been found before," says Leigh Love. "It inspires me to go out and look for more."