A new Miocene penguin from Patagonia and its phylogenetic relationships

We describe a new medium−sized penguin, Madrynornis mirandus gen. et sp. nov., from the early late Miocene Puerto Madryn Formation, Chubut Province, Argentina. Although it is evident that extant and fossil penguins form a remarkably homogeneous family of birds, Spheniscidae, their within−group phylogenetic relationships are less obvious. In order to identify the phylogenetic position of the new taxon, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis using 44 osteological characters sampled from 14 representative species of all living genera and five fossil species of Spheniscidae. The family is clearly monophyletic and Madrynornis mirandus is closely related to living taxa. Our phylogenetic interpretation is congruent with biostratigraphic data, with Paraptenodytes from the early Miocene (about 20 Ma) located at the base of the Spheniscidae. Classically, two basic tarsometatarsal types were recognized (one for pre−Miocene and the other for the post−Miocene penguins) based on the pattern of the proximal foramina and the hypotarsus. Madrynornis mirandus exhibits an arrangement of the proximal foramina and a degree of metatarsals fusion similar to that in the living forms, although its elongation index (total length/proximal width) is reminiscent of the extinct Paraptenodytes(a penguin historically recognized as a pre−Miocene form, coming from the early Miocene of Argentina). Madrynornis reveals that the two basic tarsometatarsal types co−existed among Miocene penguins

The skull of the Miocene Spheniscus urbinai

Spheniscus urbinai represents one of four extinct Spheniscus species from the Cenozoic of southern South America, known from several poorly described diversely complete skulls and postcranial elements. Here, we present a review of the cranial osteology of all known specimens (collected in Argentina, Chile, and Peru), including a paleoneurological analysis using CT scans, and an exploration of its cranial pneumaticity compared to other extinct and living seabirds. Our results show that among Spheniscus species, S. urbinai exhibits slightly greater cranial pneumaticity than the living species. Additionally, we confirm previous findings which indicate that the marked reduction of cranial pneumaticity—which is characteristic of living penguins—occurred early during the Eocene (as observed in the Antarctic penguin MLP 12-I-20-1, but not in the coeval Anthropornis).Fil: Acosta Hospitaleche, Carolina Ileana Alicia. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Departamento Científico de Paleontología de Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Paulina Carabajal, Ariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Yury Yáñez, Roberto. Universidad de Chile; Chil