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Paleontologists Unearth Giant Fossilized Penguin

Ponca City, We Love You writes "The BBC reports that scientists have discovered the 36-million-year-old fossil of a penguin nearly five feet tall and almost twice the weight of an Emperor Penguin, the largest living species. 'The heavier the penguin, the deeper it dives,' says Julia Clarke, a palaeontologist at the University of Texas. 'If that holds true for any penguins, then the dive depths achieved by these giant forms would've been very different.' The bird, named Inkayacu paracasensis, or water king, lived during the late Eocene period and had a long, straight beak, much longer than that of its modern relatives. But, most surprisingly, the giant penguin's feathers were brown and gray, distinct from the black 'tuxedo'" Reader SpuriousLogic notes that it's also getting easier to keep an eye on modern penguins, since Google has extended Street View to Antarctica.

9 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. clone it! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    We need to clone it. We need 5ft killer penguins with long beaks and mean attitudes in our fight against proprietary software.

    1. Re:clone it! by dontmakemethink · · Score: 4, Insightful

      With fricken lasers attached to their heads!

      --

      War as we knew it was obsolete
      Nothing could beat complete denial
      - Emily Haines
  2. Re:And this relates to Linux... how? by maxwell+demon · · Score: 5, Funny

    When they analyzed that penguin's DNA, they found that it contained a Linux kernel.

    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  3. Brown and Gray Feathers by Goody · · Score: 4, Funny

    But, most surprisingly, the giant penguin's feathers were brown and gray, distinct from the black 'tuxedo

    Why is that surprising? It was 36 million years ago. There were big furry elephants and lizards the size of houses in prehistoric times.

    --
    Tired of being "punished" by the Slashdot $rtbl since 2002. I'm now over at http://soylentnews.org/ .
    1. Re:Brown and Gray Feathers by ControlsGeek · · Score: 5, Funny

      Penguins were not as formal way back then and adopted much more casual dress of Brown double breasted suit with baggy cuffed trouser, a Huge 'Fedora' and wide tie.

  4. Finally by penguinchris · · Score: 4, Funny

    Finally, I have reason to point out that despite this being slashdot, I didn't choose this name because I like linux (although I do, the name came from before I started using it or signed up for slashdot), I chose it because I like penguins!

    I have a degree in geology but never took any paleontology courses... I knew I should have, then I'd be able to comment on this important scientific discovery... er... make that, this important... linux development? I'm confused.

  5. Looks like by ZirconCode · · Score: 5, Funny

    Looks like we horribly miss-calculated the year of the penguin!

  6. Re:Linux? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's all related, man. Penguins... Tux... Linux... Linus.... The government doesn't want you to know The Truth. There's some bizarre shit going down with the penguins of the world. I think - based on years of academic research - that the REAL Atlantis was actually the Penguin Homeland. I think Linus knows, too. I think he was sent into the future - OUR TIME, MAN - to teach the world the firm-but-loving discipline of Penguinism. The Singularity will only be possible because of Linux. THINK ABOUT IT. Penguin-powered Singularity. News stories like this are just preparing the world to accept the fact that our planet was once dominated by Penguin Overlords. Haven't you ever seen the MEN IN BLACK? Don't they look like penguins?! They're coming back, man. MEN IN BLACK = TUXEDOS = TUX. They are the Penguin Overlords' invasion force. Ever see that episode of Star Trek Voyager "Distant Origin?" It's like that! But instead of dinosaurs, it's penguins. They're coming back, man. There's a distant planet filled with penguins and they are just waiting to come back and

  7. Re:Linux?! by morari · · Score: 4, Informative

    No, not Linux.

    This is just a cover story. For beyond the giant penguins resides the Plateau of Leng, the long-forgotten city of the Elder Things.

    Beware! BEWARE!!!

    --
    "He who can destroy a thing, controls a thing." --Paul Atreides, Dune