Human-Size Penguin Fossils Discovered in New Zealand

A penguin in South Shetland Islands. (AFP / Eitan Abramovich)
A penguin in South Shetland Islands. (AFP / Eitan Abramovich)
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Human-Size Penguin Fossils Discovered in New Zealand

A penguin in South Shetland Islands. (AFP / Eitan Abramovich)
A penguin in South Shetland Islands. (AFP / Eitan Abramovich)

A human-size penguin fossil was discovered in New Zealand. The discovery has changed the thoughts scientists had on the bird’s evolution phases. Alan Tennyson, vertebrate curator at the Museum of New Zealand found the fossil in a 55-60 million-year-old rock on the South Island beach in 2004, the German news agency reported.

However, the excavation of the incomplete bone structure from the rock had to be delayed till the required technology was provided in 2015. Based on the bones’ size, scientists estimated that the penguin would be about 1.65 meters long –like a medium-height man- and would weigh up to 100 kg. The longest penguin at present is the Emperor penguin, which is 1.1 meters long and weighs 23 kilograms.

Tennyson told Radio New Zealand that the fossil has a great global importance because it comes from a period that directly follows dinosaurs’ extinction, and shows that the giant penguins were among the first penguins to exist. "That was not really known before," he added.

"There may be a link, as giant animals such as dinosaurs, non-flying dinosaurs and wild marine animals have all died during this period over 66 million years ago," he said.

"This may had left some space that allowed other organisms like these penguins to grow and fill the empty surfaces" he said.



Pope Leo’s Illinois Childhood Home to Become Tourist Site

Pope Leo XIV arrives at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo south of Rome for a six-week vacation, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP)
Pope Leo XIV arrives at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo south of Rome for a six-week vacation, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP)
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Pope Leo’s Illinois Childhood Home to Become Tourist Site

Pope Leo XIV arrives at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo south of Rome for a six-week vacation, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP)
Pope Leo XIV arrives at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo south of Rome for a six-week vacation, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP)

Pope Leo XIV's childhood home has been sold to the village where he grew up, which intends to make it a historical site, local media reported Friday.

The modest brick home in the Chicago suburb of Dolton, population 21,000, was sold by its current owner for $375,000, WGN television said.

It said the owner had bought the house for $66,000 last year -- prior to Pope Leo's election as the first American pontiff and done extensive renovations.

The Dolton village board of trustees voted earlier this month to purchase the three-bedroom house and turn it into an attraction open to the public.

According to WBEZ Chicago radio, the parents of Pope Leo -- born Robert Prevost -- bought the house in 1949 and sold it in 1996.