The
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
Aptenodytes (from the
Ancient GreekAncient Greek is the historical stage in the development of the Greek language spanning across the Archaic , Classical , and Hellenistic periods of ancient Greece and the ancient world. It is predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
a/α 'without'
pteno-/πτηνο- 'feather' or 'wing' and
dytes/δυτης 'diver') contains two extant
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
of penguins collectively known as "the great penguins".
- King Penguin
The King Penguin is the second largest species of penguin at about 11 to 16 kg , second only to the Emperor Penguin. There are two subspecies - A. p. patagonicus and A. p...
, Aptenodytes patagonicus
- Emperor Penguin
The Emperor Penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. The male and female are similar in plumage and size, reaching in height and weighing anywhere from 22 to 45 kg...
, Aptenodytes forsteri
Ridgen's PenguinRidgen's Penguin is an extinct species of penguin from the Early Pliocene of New Zealand. It was intermediate in size between its living congeners, standing an estimated 90-100 cm tall....
(
Aptenodytes ridgeni) is an extinct species known from
fossilFossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals, plants, and other organisms from the remote past. The totality of fossils, both discovered and undiscovered, and their placement in fossiliferous rock formations and sedimentary layers is known as the fossil record...
bones of Early or Late
PlioceneThe Pliocene epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present....
age.
Molecular studies have shown the genus
Aptenodytes be basal to all other living penguins, that is the genus split off from a branch which led to all other species.
Discussion
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The
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
Aptenodytes (from the
Ancient GreekAncient Greek is the historical stage in the development of the Greek language spanning across the Archaic , Classical , and Hellenistic periods of ancient Greece and the ancient world. It is predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
a/α 'without'
pteno-/πτηνο- 'feather' or 'wing' and
dytes/δυτης 'diver') contains two extant
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
of penguins collectively known as "the great penguins".
Taxonomy
- King Penguin
The King Penguin is the second largest species of penguin at about 11 to 16 kg , second only to the Emperor Penguin. There are two subspecies - A. p. patagonicus and A. p...
, Aptenodytes patagonicus
- Emperor Penguin
The Emperor Penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. The male and female are similar in plumage and size, reaching in height and weighing anywhere from 22 to 45 kg...
, Aptenodytes forsteri
Ridgen's PenguinRidgen's Penguin is an extinct species of penguin from the Early Pliocene of New Zealand. It was intermediate in size between its living congeners, standing an estimated 90-100 cm tall....
(
Aptenodytes ridgeni) is an extinct species known from
fossilFossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals, plants, and other organisms from the remote past. The totality of fossils, both discovered and undiscovered, and their placement in fossiliferous rock formations and sedimentary layers is known as the fossil record...
bones of Early or Late
PlioceneThe Pliocene epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present....
age.
Molecular studies have shown the genus
Aptenodytes be basal to all other living penguins, that is the genus split off from a branch which led to all other species. DNA evidence suggests this split occurred around 40 million years ago.
This had been foreshadowed by an attempt to classify penguins by their behaviour, which also predicted the genus' basal nature.
Species
Two monotypic species extant:
| Aptenodytes |
| Common and binomial names |
Image |
Description |
Range |
Emperor PenguinThe Emperor Penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. The male and female are similar in plumage and size, reaching in height and weighing anywhere from 22 to 45 kg...
s
(Aptenodytes forsteri) |
 |
122 cm (48 in) tall weighing 22–37 kg (48.5–82 lb), the adult has deep black dorsal feathers, covering the head, chin, throat, back, dorsal part of the flippers, and tail. The underparts of the wings and belly are white, becoming pale yellow in the upper breast, ear patches are bright yellow. The upper mandible is black, and the lower mandible can be pink, orange or lilac. Males and females are similar in size and colouration. |
|
King PenguinThe King Penguin is the second largest species of penguin at about 11 to 16 kg , second only to the Emperor Penguin. There are two subspecies - A. p. patagonicus and A. p...
s
(Aptenodytes patagonicus) |
 |
90 cm (3 ft) tall and weighing 11 to 16 kg (24 to 35 lb), The upperparts are steel blue-grey, darkening to black on the head, the belly is white fading to orange on the upper breast with bright orange ear patches. The black bill is long and slender, and curved downwards. The lower mandible bears a striking pink or orange-coloured mandibular plate |
Breeds on the subantarctic islands between 45° and 55° S at the northern reaches of Antarctica| style="border-top:solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding:0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align:top;" | 14,000,000 km 2 280,000 km 2 13,720,000 km 2 |-! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top;...
, as well as Tierra del FuegoTierra del Fuego or TF is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The southern point of the archipelago forms Cape Horn.- History :...
, the Falkland IslandsThe Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located approximately from the coast of mainland South America, from mainland Antarctica, and from Africa. There are two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, as well as 776 smaller islands...
, and other temperate islands of the region. |