| Palaeospheniscus bergi Temporal range: Early Miocene |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
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Fossil
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Sphenisciformes |
| Family: | Spheniscidae |
| Subfamily: | Palaeospheniscinae |
| Genus: | Palaeospheniscus |
| Species: | P. bergi |
| Binomial name | |
| Palaeospheniscus bergi Moreno & Mercerat, 1891 |
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| Synonyms | |
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see text |
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Palaeospheniscus bergi is a species of the extinct penguin genus Palaeospheniscus. It stood about 60–75 cm high in life, or somewhat smaller on average than the extant African Penguin.
Many bones referrable to this species have been recovered from the Early Miocene Patagonian Molasse Formation. Known localities are Trelew in Chubut Province and Puerto San Julián in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina.
The species is named for Carlos Berg, a member of the La Plata Museum of Natural Sciences staff at the time when Moreno worked there.
Some recent researchers have considered Palaeospheniscus gracilis a synonym of this species.
Bones of this species were described as no less than 6 "species" (including the correct one) from 3 "genera" by Florentino Ameghino in a single publication. The synonyms are as follows:
Either Pseudospheniscus interplanus or P. planus, as well as either Pseudospheniscus concavus or P. convexus, are a lapsus too.