Fossilized Feathers Reveal Ancient Penguins' Style: Big Pics

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Sept. 30, 2010 -- Fossilized feathers and scales of an extinct penguin species dating back some 36 million years have been found in Peru. The discovery offers a glimpse into how these conservation icons evolved over millions of years.

The newly discovered penguin, Inkayacu paracasensis, wore a different coat than its modern-day counterparts. Rather than donning the black tuxedo look of today's penguin, Inkayacu instead had feathers that were reddish brown and gray. This extinct bird was also larger than any penguin alive today, standing nearly five feet tall.

Bird feathers get some of their color from tiny structures called melanosomes. Comparing melanosomes from Inkayacu with modern penguins allowed researchers to deduce the colors of the ancient bird's feathers.

Melanosomes also give researchers a glimpse of the microstructures of the feathers themselves. The shape, size and arrangement of Inkayacu's melanosomes reveal a structure more similar to that of modern-day aquatic birds than penguins.

Throughout the course of their evolution, the researchers theorize, penguins' feathers became more resistant to wear and fracturing, fostering successive generations of stronger swimmers.

So why did the penguins change color, too? Scientists can't say at this point why it happened, but they are confident that the structural changes came first.

The researchers' findings appear in today's issue of the journal Science.

Image credits: Katie Brown/University of Texas, Austin (top). This illustration shows what Inkayacu may have looked liked when it was alive. | Science/AAAS (bottom). This diagram shows the remains that were recovered from a 36-million-year-old Inkayacu specimen.