Korora fossil map
Where fossils of Korora have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 30 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 30 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 25.2–21.7 million years ago (Chattian to Aquitanian) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene |
| Named by | Marples 1952 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | New Zealand |
| Rock formations | Kokoamu Greensand |
About Korora
Korora oliveri, also referred to as Oliver's penguin, is a genus and species of extinct penguin from the Waitakian Stage (Late Oligocene to Early Miocene) of New Zealand. It was relatively small and slender, similar in size to one of the larger crested penguins. The penguin was described by Brian Marples in 1952 from fossil material (a tarsometatarsus) he collected in the Hakataramea Valley, in the Canterbury region of the South Island. The genus name Korora is the Māori term for the extant little penguin. The specific epithet honours Walter Oliver (1883–1957) a former director of the Dominion Museum.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Korora (revision 1310217204), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q17052112.
