Antarctica is the Earth’s southernmost continent, located on the South Pole, where temperatures reach up to -90C. Anywhere between 1,000 and 5,000 scientists reside there at various research facilities across the continent and the number of animals is scarce. Mites, nematodes, seals and penguins have all been spotted in the polar desert.
However, one extinct animal discovered there left researchers scratching their heads.
David Walton, Professor at the British Antarctica Survey, revealed how a team uncovered an extinct species known as the Palaeeudyptes klekowskii or colossus penguin.
He told listeners on BBC’s Radio 4 “In our Time – Antarctica" how the extinct aquatic bird towered more than six feet in height.
He said in 2010: “As an ecologist, history is written in fossils.
Researchers working in Antarctica (Image: GETTY)
