| Paraptenodytes robustus 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: | Paraptenodytinae |
| Genus: | Paraptenodytes |
| Species: | P. robustus |
| Binomial name | |
| Paraptenodytes robustus (Ameghino, 1895) |
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| Synonyms | |
Paraptenodytes robustus is the type species of the penguin genus Palaeospheniscus, which is known from fossils. It was medium-sized, an estimated 70–80 cm long in life (similar to a Magellanic Penguin).
The fossils of this species are known from several dozen bones, found in Early Miocene rocks of the Patagonian Molasse Formation. Documented locations are near La Cueva, Trelew in Chubut Province, and Puerto San Julián in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. Most remains are only tentatively assigned to this species, however, and the tarsometatarsus formerly referred to as Treleudytes crassus may belong to a completely different species. On the other hand, Paraptenodytes brodkorbi is probably synonymous with P. robustus.