Paraptenodytes robustus

Paraptenodytes robustus is a species of the extinct penguin genus Paraptenodytes, which is known from fossils. It was medium-sized, an estimated 70 to 80 centimetres (28 to 31 in) long in life (similar to a Magellanic penguin).

Paraptenodytes robustus Temporal range: Early Miocene (Colhuehuapian-Santacrucian) ~
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Sphenisciformes
Family:	Spheniscidae
Genus:	†Paraptenodytes
Species:	†P. robustus
Binomial name
†Paraptenodytes robustus Ameghino 1894
Synonyms
Palaeospheniscus robustus Ameghino, 1895 Paraptenodytes curtus Ameghino, 1901 Paraptenodytes grandis Ameghino, 1901 Arthrodytes grandis Ameghino, 1905 Metancylornis curtus Ameghino, 1905 Treleudytes crassa Ameghino, 1905 Treleudytes crassus Simpson, 1946 Perispheniscus robustus Brodkorb, 1963

The fossils of this species are known from several dozen bones, found in Early Miocene rocks of the Gaimán Formation. Documented locations are near La Cueva, Trelew in Chubut Province, and Puerto San Julián in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. Most remains are only tentatively assigned to this species, however, and the tarsometatarsus formerly referred to as Treleudytes crassus may belong to a completely different species. On the other hand, Paraptenodytes brodkorbi is probably synonymous with P. robustus.

Further reading

• Ameghino, Florentino (1895): Sur les oiseaux fossiles de Patagonie. Bol. Inst. Geogr. Argentina 15 501–602. [Article in French]
• Simpson, George Gaylord (1946): Fossil penguins. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 87: 7-99. PDF fulltext
• Simpson, George Gaylord (1971): Conspectus of Patagonian fossil penguins. American Museum Novitates 2488: 1-37. PDF fulltext