Latest news with #DanielField
Time of India
3 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
57-million-year-old giant penguin fossil discovered in New Zealand sheds light on ancient marine life
Source: moneycontrol Fossils found in southern New Zealand have brought to light a massive prehistoric penguin species unlike any living today. In a comprehensive analysis by University of Cambridge researchers, scientists identified Kumimanu fordycei which is a giant penguin that lived along the coastline during the Paleocene epoch around 57 million years ago. Weighing roughly 350 pounds which is equal to 154 kilograms, this enormous bird far surpassed modern emperor penguins in in the Journal of Paleontology and backed by Cambridge University and New Zealand's Te Papa Museum, the research sheds new light on penguin evolution , suggesting the existence of a long-forgotten age when giant and deep-diving seabirds thrived. 57-million-year-old giant penguin fossil unearthed in New Zealand The fossilized remains of Kumimanu fordycei were found embedded in beach boulders along the North Otago coast of New Zealand, dating to between 59.5 and 55.5 million years ago, shortly after the mass extinction that wiped out non-avian dinosaurs. An international research team including paleontologist Alan Tennyson and Dr. Daniel Field from the University of Cambridge carried out the excavation and analysis. Using laser scanning technology, they created digital models of the bones to compare this ancient species with modern penguins and other water birds. Giant penguins emerged sooner than scientists predicted by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Switch to UnionBank Rewards Card UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo This finding rewrites the timeline for when penguins began evolving into giants. Kumimanu fordycei isn't just the biggest penguin ever discovered but it's also one of the earliest, dating to just 5 to 10 million years after the first penguins appeared. This suggests that penguins began developing large body sizes far earlier in their evolutionary history than scientists once addition to Kumimanu, the researchers also identified another new species, Petradyptes stonehousei, which weighed around 50 kilograms which is still much heavier than any modern penguin. The fact that two such massive species lived side by side in the same region highlights the early diversity and ecological success of penguins. It also indicates that these ancient birds were not rare evolutionary outliers but powerful and prominent players in their marine ecosystems. The benefits behind becoming giant penguins The enormous size of Kumimanu probably provided multiple evolutionary benefits. Larger penguins were able to dive deeper and remain submerged longer which allowed them to access prey that smaller penguins couldn't reach. They were likely capable of hunting bigger fish and squid, potentially filling a predatory niche similar to that of small marine a thermoregulation standpoint, a bigger body helped retain heat more effectively, an important advantage in the gradually cooling subtropical to temperate waters of the early Paleocene. The name Kumimanu, which means 'monster bird' in Māori, describes this impressive creature that must have been a striking presence along New Zealand's ancient their skill in the water, these early penguins still exhibited features inherited from their flying ancestors. Their flipper bones were narrower with muscle attachments similar to those of birds capable of flight, indicating a transitional evolutionary stage. Over time, natural selection would shape their limbs for more efficient swimming, eventually leading to the streamlined, torpedo-shaped bodies seen in today's penguins. Why the massive penguins vanished Giant penguins like Kumimanu thrived for tens of millions of years throughout New Zealand, Antarctica and parts of South America. However, by about 20 million years ago, they disappeared from the fossil record. While the exact reasons remain uncertain, growing evidence suggests that competition with marine mammals played a key this period, seals and toothed whales began spreading across the Southern Hemisphere, competing with penguins for food and breeding sites. Seals, in particular, may have preyed on penguin chicks or displaced adult penguins at important nesting grounds. In contrast, smaller, more agile penguin species managed to survive and adapt, eventually evolving into the 18 penguin species we see today. Also read: Can science revive dead rhinos? The answer may shock you
BBC News
19-05-2025
- BBC News
Stockton sex offender Daniel Fields jailed at Leeds Crown Court
A man has been jailed for 15 years after being convicted of a string of sex attacks against four women. Daniel Field, 27, targeted three vulnerable victims while living in Huddersfield between 2018 and 2020, West Yorkshire Police was then later linked to previous offences dating back to 2016 in Middlesbrough. Field, of Mount Pleasant Road in Stockton-on-Tees, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Friday after being convicted of 14 charges at a trial in February. His offences includes five counts of rape, three of sexual assault, two of causing a female to engage in sexual activity and four offences of assault by Insp Phil Davies said: "We hope these four brave women can take some comfort from seeing Field jailed for the awful offences he subjected them to."The investigation which led to his conviction was lengthy and complex and would not have been possible without their determination to assist us in building the case to bring this man to justice." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
