View source for Biology:Waimanu

{{Short description|Extinct genus of birds waimanu}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = [[Earth:Paleocene|Paleocene]], {{fossilrange|62|60}}
| image = Waimanu tarsometatarsus.jpg
| image_caption = [[Biology:Tarsometatarsus|Tarsometatarsus]] of the [[Biology:Holotype|holotype]]
| taxon = Waimanu
| authority = {{harvnb|Slack|Jones|Ando|Harrison|2006}}
| type_species = †'''''Waimanu manneringi'''''
| type_species_authority = {{harvnb|Slack|Jones|Ando|Harrison|2006}}
}}

'''''Waimanu''''' is a [[Biology:Genus|genus]] of early [[Biology:Penguin|penguin]] which lived during the [[Earth:Paleocene|Paleocene]], soon after the [[Earth:Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event|Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event]], around 62–60 million years ago. It was about the size of an [[Biology:Emperor penguin|emperor penguin]] (1 metre). It is one of the most important bird fossils for understanding the origin and evolution of birds because of the time period it comes from, and the position of penguins near the base of the bird family tree.
[[File:Waimanu BW.jpg|alt=Artist's reconstruction of fossil penguin Waimanu manneringi|left|thumb|Artist's reconstruction]]
''Waimanu'' was a very early member of the [[Biology:Sphenisciformes|Sphenisciformes]], the order that includes modern penguins. However, although it was probably flightless like all modern penguins, with wings specialized for wing-propelled diving, its wing bones do not yet show the extreme specializations modern penguins have for an aquatic lifestyle.<ref name=description/> It may have resembled a flightless [[Biology:Loon|loon]] or [[Biology:Loon|diver]] in body shape, and possibly the [[Biology:Great auk|great auk]] in its manner of locomotion.

==Discovery==
''Waimanu'' was discovered in the Basal [[Earth:Waipara Greensand|Waipara Greensand]] near the Waipara River, in Canterbury, [[Earth:New Zealand|New Zealand]], in 1980.

The [[Biology:Holotype|holotype]] is a partial skeleton comprising almost complete right tibiotarsus, proximal half of right fibula, right tarsometatarsus, right pelvis, and synsacrum (with last thoracic vertebra attached to the synsacrum), four caudal vertebrae. It is held in the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand.

==Etymology==
The genus name ''Waimanu'' comes from the Māori ''wai'' for "water" and ''manu'' for "bird". One species is known, ''W. manneringi'', named for Al Mannering who found and collected the [[Biology:Holotype|holotype]] specimen.<ref name=description>{{cite journal |last1=Slack |first1=K. E. |last2=Jones |first2=C. M. |last3=Ando |first3=T. |last4=Harrison |first4=G. L. |last5=Fordyce |first5=R. E. |last6=Arnason |first6=U. |last7=Penny |first7=D. |display-authors=1 |year=2006 |title=Early Penguin Fossils, plus Mitochondrial Genomes, Calibrate Avian Evolution |journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution |volume=23 |issue=6 |pages=1144–1155 |doi=10.1093/molbev/msj124 |pmid=16533822 |doi-access=free }}</ref> A second species, ''Waimanu tuatahi'', was moved to ''[[Biology:Muriwaimanu|Muriwaimanu]]'' in 2018.<ref>{{Cite journal|author1=Gerald Mayr |author2=Vanesa L. De Pietri |author3=Leigh Love |author4=Al A. Mannering |author5=R. Paul Scofield |year=2018 |title=A well-preserved new mid-Paleocene penguin (Aves, Sphenisciformes) from the Waipara Greensand in New Zealand |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=37 |issue=6 |pages=e1398169 |doi=10.1080/02724634.2017.1398169 |s2cid=89744522 }}</ref>

==Significance==
The discovery of ''Waimanu'' provided evidence for debate about whether the radiation of modern birds, [[Biology:Neoaves|Neoaves]], took place before the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs or extremely rapidly immediately after. DNA studies, combined with the fossil evidence, seem to indicate the latter.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hackett |first1=S. J. |first2=Rebecca T. |last2=Kimball |first3=Sushma |last3=Reddy |first4=Rauri C. K. |last4=Bowie |first5=Edward L. |last5=Braun |first6=Michael J. |last6=Braun |display-authors=1 |year=2008 |title=A Phylogenomic Study of Birds Reveals Their Evolutionary History |journal=Science |volume=320 |issue=5884 |pages=1763–1768 |doi=10.1126/science.1157704 |pmid=18583609 |s2cid=6472805 }}</ref> 

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2006/03/waimanu.php Images of ''Waimanu'' specimens and a phylogram of early birds.]
* [http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/8323696/Skull-of-worlds-oldest-penguin-found Skull of world's oldest penguin found]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q138638}}

[[Category:Prehistoric bird genera]]
[[Category:Sphenisciformes]]
[[Category:Paleocene birds]]

{{Sourceattribution|Waimanu}}