Animal of the Day!
Great Auk (Pinguinus impennis)
(Photo from the Cincinnati Museum Center)
Extinction Date- 1844
Habitat- Northern Atlantic Ocean
Size (Weight/Length)- 75 cm
Diet- Fish; Crustaceans
Cool Facts- The great auk, while looking like a penguin, is nowhere close to being related to them. These seafaring birds were the only auk species to survive to the modern era, numbering in the millions during the Pleistocene. They were extremely powerful swimmers and the abundance of fish in the Northern Atlantic provided greatly. The great auk was held in high importance to Neolithic peoples due to their depiction in cave art and jewelry made of their bones. Unfortunately, great auks were easy to hunt and resulted in their extinction. Their feathers were used in pillows and their eggs were seen as a delicacy. The last pair of great auks were strangled to death and their egg was smashed in 1844. Today, the great aukβs closest relative is the razorbill. Luckily, the razorbill is of least concern with an increasing population due to protections placed on their fishing grounds.
Rating- 12/10 (In the genus Pinguinus, which penguins were later named after.)
