Tereingaornis moisleyi, also referred to as Moisley's penguin, is a genus and species of extinct penguin from the Middle Pliocene of New Zealand. It was slightly smaller than the extant Fiordland crested penguin. It was described by Ron Scarlett in 1983 from fossil material (a coracoid, humerus and other bones) found by William Moisley near Te Reinga Falls on the Wairoa River, in the Hawke's Bay Region of the North Island. Another specimen was found later at Waihi Beach, Hāwera, on the South Taranaki Bight. The genus name Tereingaornis combines the name of the type locality with the Greek ornis ("bird"); the specific epithet honours the discoverer of the fossil.[2][3][4]

Tereingaornis
Temporal range: Middle Pliocene 3.6–3.0 Ma
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Sphenisciformes
Family: Spheniscidae
Genus: Tereingaornis
Scarlett, 1983[1]
Species:
T. moisleyi
Binomial name
Tereingaornis moisleyi
Scarlett, 1983

References edit

  1. ^ Scarlett, R.J. (1983). "Tereingaornis moisleyi – a new Pliocene penguin". New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics. 26 (4): 419–428. doi:10.1080/00288306.1983.10422257.
  2. ^ Gill, B.J. (Convener, OSNZ Checklist Committee) (2010). Checklist of the Birds of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica (4th ed.). Wellington: Te PaPa Press in association with the Ornithological Society of New Zealand. p. 330. ISBN 978-1-877385-59-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Miskelly, C.M. (2013). "Moisley's penguin". New Zealand Birds Online. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  4. ^ McKee, Joseph W.A. (1987). "The occurrence of the Pliocene penguin Tereingaornis moisleyi (Sphenisciformes: Spheniscidae) at Hawera, Taranaki, New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 14 (4): 557–561. doi:10.1080/03014223.1987.10423029.