Kawhia fossil find
A school holiday fossil hunt has unearthed New Zealand's most complete penguin fossil in the Kawhia Harbour, an area renowned for its fossil finding potential.
Members of the Hamilton Junior Naturalist Club came across the find, after a receding tide brought the bones into view. Two of the children noticed the bones but it wasn't until their guide, amateur anthropologist Chris Templer, noticed them that anyone present realised their significance.
The bones are suspected to belong to a palaeeudyptes, a 40 million year old, 1.5 metre high giant penguin, conservatively weighing in at over 100 kilograms.
The find is significant in that it is one of the world's largest penguin fossils, as well as the most complete fossil of a giant penguin ever found in New Zealand. Although missing its skull, experts estimate that the fossil was still 70-80% intact.
The area where the fossil was found, on the foreshore of the Te Waitere Inlet, in Kawhia harbour is a renowned fossil hunting area. Fossil hunting in the harbour often turns up ammonites and belemnites, which are described by locals as particularly plentiful in the region.
Located on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island, the Kawhia Harbour is comprised of the sedimentary rock of a drowned river valley system spanning over 6000 hectares, with some areas dating back as far as 400 million years.
Further information:
Kelly Fox
Destination Waitomo
Phone +64 27 295 7878
Email destinationwaitomo@xtra.co.nz
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