# Giant Penguins found in New Zealand. Can Elder Things be far behind? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 15, 2019, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-penguins-found-in-new-zealand-can-elder-things-be-far-behind/838705 "2019-08-15T17:47:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-penguins-found-in-new-zealand-can-elder-things-be-far-behind/838705/1 "2019-08-15T17:47:58Z")
[https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/14/asia/human-size-penguin-new-zealand-scli-intl/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/14/asia/human-size-penguin-new-zealand-scli-intl/index.html) > [@](#): > > A “monster penguin” which stood as tall as a human has been identified by scientists in New Zealand. > > A team of researchers from the Canterbury Museum discovered Crossvallia waiparensis after studying fossils found in Waipara, near the city of Christchurch on New Zealand’s south island, according to a press release. > The giant penguin, which stood 1.6 meters (5 feet 3 inches) tall, is the latest member of a growing cast of massive fauna that used to call the island nation home. These include the world’s biggest parrot, a giant eagle, a giant burrowing bat, and the moa, a kind of large flightless bird. > At 70-80 kilograms (154-176lb), the penguin would have weighed more than the world’s average human being, who tips the scales at 62 kilograms (137lb) according to a 2012 BMC Public Health study. They don’t report any _shoggoths_. But then, I don’t think shoggoths had any bones. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-penguins-found-in-new-zealand-can-elder-things-be-far-behind/838705/2 "2019-08-15T17:57:48Z")
**Polly wants a cracker NOW!!** In other news, they also discovered an ancient 3 foot tall parrot in New Zealand [https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/06/world/largest-parrot-fossil-new-zealand-scn/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/06/world/largest-parrot-fossil-new-zealand-scn/index.html) > [@](#): > > About 19 million years ago, the world’s largest parrot lived in New Zealand and used its massive beak to crack open food, according to a new study. > > The parrot stood over 3 feet tall and weighed about 15.5 pounds. The fossils were found among others dating to 19 million years ago near St. Bathans in Central Otago, New Zealand. This area is known for its bird fossils dating back to the Miocene period, which ranges between 5.3 and 23 million years ago. > A study describing the bird published Tuesday in the journal Biology Letters. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-penguins-found-in-new-zealand-can-elder-things-be-far-behind/838705/3 "2019-08-15T18:21:01Z")
Well, now we know where Sidney Crosby inherited it from. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-penguins-found-in-new-zealand-can-elder-things-be-far-behind/838705/4 "2019-08-15T18:30:19Z")
I was disappointed that they couldn’t shoot lasers from their eyes. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-penguins-found-in-new-zealand-can-elder-things-be-far-behind/838705/5 "2019-08-15T18:35:27Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > [https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/14/asia/human-size-penguin-new-zealand-scli-intl/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/14/asia/human-size-penguin-new-zealand-scli-intl/index.html) > > They don’t report any _shoggoths_. But then, I don’t think shoggoths had any bones. The article mentions a “giant burrowing bat.” That’s Lovecraftian enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-penguins-found-in-new-zealand-can-elder-things-be-far-behind/838705/6 "2019-08-15T18:55:57Z")
The historical absence of quadruped mammals in New Zealand really opened up the door to a lot of evolutionary developments that we don’t normally associate with winged critters. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-penguins-found-in-new-zealand-can-elder-things-be-far-behind/838705/7 "2019-08-15T19:18:48Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > **Polly wants a cracker NOW!!** > > In other news, they also discovered an ancient 3 foot tall parrot in New Zealand > > [https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/06/world/largest-parrot-fossil-new-zealand-scn/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/06/world/largest-parrot-fossil-new-zealand-scn/index.html) The cracker is not the biggest worry. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/9T1vfsHYiKY/maxresdefault.jpg "Shagged by a rare parrot | Last Chance To See - BBC") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T1vfsHYiKY) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-penguins-found-in-new-zealand-can-elder-things-be-far-behind/838705/8 "2019-08-15T19:19:37Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > \*\* Giant Penguins found in New Zealand.\*\* Does Berke Breathed know about this? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-penguins-found-in-new-zealand-can-elder-things-be-far-behind/838705/9 "2019-08-15T19:25:46Z")
A man-sized penguin has also been spotted lurking about in Gotham City. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-penguins-found-in-new-zealand-can-elder-things-be-far-behind/838705/10 "2019-08-15T22:50:40Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Does Berke Breathed know about this? Never mind Berke. Do the scriptwriters for _Scott of the Antarctic_ know? They’ll have to change it to _Scott of the Kiwis_. “…and the blood will go spurting…WHOOOOOSH!” ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-penguins-found-in-new-zealand-can-elder-things-be-far-behind/838705/11 "2019-08-15T22:55:38Z")
To clarify the article’s sensational headline, we’ve known about giant penguins for a long time (e.g. 1946). This is just a new species, and isn’t even the tallest known. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-penguins-found-in-new-zealand-can-elder-things-be-far-behind/838705/12 "2019-08-15T23:00:28Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > To clarify the article’s sensational headline, we’ve known about giant penguins for a long time (e.g. 1946). This is just a new species, and isn’t even the tallest known. But boy does your username match up to the thread’s title. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-penguins-found-in-new-zealand-can-elder-things-be-far-behind/838705/13 "2019-08-15T23:03:26Z")
> [@two many cats](#): > > never mind berke. Do the scriptwriters for _scott of the antarctic_ know? They’ll have to change it to _scott of the kiwis_. > > “…and the blood will go spurting…whooooosh!” Great! Great!