Pakudyptes hakataramea was a small penguin that lived in New Zealand around 24 million years ago. It was about the same size as the little blue penguin, which is the smallest species of penguin in the world. The new species had adaptations that allowed it to dive and swim.
The shape of its wing bones was different from modern and fossil penguins, but it still helped scientists understand how penguin wings evolved over time. The shoulder joints were similar to those found in present-day penguins, while the elbow joints were more like those found in older fossil penguins.
Pakudyptes hakataramea is important because it fills a gap between modern and ancient penguins. Its unique combination of bones suggests that it was able to dive and swim, just like many modern penguin species do today.
The fossilized remains of Pakudyptes hakataramea were found in the Hakataramea Valley, South Canterbury by paleontologists Craig Jones and Professor Ewan Fordyce during a series of field trips in 1987.
Source: https://www.sci.news/paleontology/pakudyptes-hakataramea-13143.html