Petradyptes fossil map
Where fossils of Petradyptes have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 56 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 56 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 | 59.24–56 million years ago (Thanetian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Named by | Ksepka et al. 2023 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | New Zealand |
| Rock formations | Moeraki |
About Petradyptes
Petradyptes is an extinct genus of penguin that lived during the Late Paleocene epoch, between 60 and 55 million years ago. The genus currently contains one known species, Petradyptes stonehousei.
Petradyptes stonehousei was first described in 2023 by an international team of researchers, including scientists from the University of Cambridge and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. The fossils of Petradyptes stonehousei were discovered in 57 million-year-old beach boulders in North Otago, on New Zealand's South Island, between 2016 and 2017. The fossils were then exposed from within the boulders by Al Manning. They have been identified as being between 59.5 and 55.5 million years old, marking their existence as roughly five to 10 million years after the end-Cretaceous extinction which led to the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs.
Petradyptes stonehousei was smaller than its contemporary Kumimanu fordycei, but still well above the weight of an emperor penguin. The name Petradyptes combines the Greek 'petra' for rock and 'dyptes' for diver, a play on the diving bird being preserved in a boulder.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Petradyptes (revision 1369351363), 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: Q120984977.
