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Kairuku

Reptilia

Taxonomy
Kairuku was named by Ksepka et al. (2012).

It was assigned to Sphenisciformes by Ksepka et al. (2012).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2012Kairuku Ksepka et al. p. 239 figs. Figs. 2-7

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
—Sauropsida
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
—Romeriida
—Diapsida()
—Archosauromorpha(Huene 1946)
RankNameAuthor
—Crocopoda
—ArchosauriformesGauthier 1986
—Eucrocopoda
—Archosauria()
informalAvemetatarsalia
—Ornithodira
—Dinosauromorpha
—Dinosauriformes
—Dinosauria()
—Theropoda()
—Neotheropoda
—AverostraPaul 2002
—Tetanurae
—Coelurosauria()
—Maniraptora
—Paraves
classAves
subclassNeornithesGadow 1893
—Aequornithes
—Feraequornithes
superorderProcellariimorphae
—Sphenisciformes(Sharpe 1891)
genusKairuku

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

G. †Kairuku Ksepka et al. 2012
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†Kairuku grebneffi Ksepka et al. 2012
†Kairuku waewaeroa Giovanardi et al. 2021
†Kairuku waitaki Ksepka et al. 2012
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
D. T. Ksepka et al. 2012Three apomorphies diagnose Kairuku: absence of the crista medialis hypotarsi (present in all other sphenisci- forms), medial border of the tibiotarsus strongly convex in distal view, and stout femoral proportions (midshaft width >15% total length). The long, narrow sternum, and flattened, plate-like py- gostyle are unique among described species of Sphenisciformes. However, because these elements are unknown in most Paleo- gene sphenisciforms, the aforementioned features are potentially plesiomorphic and their diagnostic nature remains unverified.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: hydroxyapatiteo
Entire body: yeso
Adult length: 10 to < 100o
Adult width: 1.0 to < 10o
Adult height: 1.0 to < 10o
Architecture: compact or denseo
Ontogeny: accretion, modification of partso
Grouping: solitaryo
Environment: marineo
Locomotion: actively mobileo
Life habit: ground dwellingo
Diet: carnivoresubo
Reproduction: oviparouso
Dispersal: direct/internalo
Dispersal 2: mobileo
Created: 2017-04-17 10:40:01
Modified: 2017-04-17 10:40:01
Source: subo = suborder, o = order
References: Marsh 1875, Benton 1983, Bush and Bambach 2015

Age range: base of the Kaiatan to the top of the Duntroonian or 39.10000 to 25.20000 Ma

Collections (10 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Kaiatan39.1 - 36.7New Zealand Palaeeudyptes antarcticus (52128)
Whaingaroan34.6 - 27.3New Zealand (North Island) K. waewaeroa (222346) Spheniscidae indet. (74759)
Duntroonian27.3 - 25.2New Zealand (South Canterbury) K. grebneffi (125400)
Duntroonian27.3 - 25.2New Zealand (North Otago) K. grebneffi (125399) K. sp. (45660 125401) Palaeeudyptes antarcticus (45450 63049)
Chattian27.3 - 23.04New Zealand (South Canterbury) K. waitaki (100670)