New penguin species discovered in Kerguelen Islands

Researchers have identified a new penguin species, Pygoscelis kerguelensis, inhabiting the remote Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. This discovery, published in Communications Biology, marks the first description of a new penguin species in over a century.

The species is considered cryptic, meaning it is nearly impossible to distinguish from other gentoo penguins by outward appearance alone. While they share the characteristic dark backs, white bellies, and white eye patches, the distinction is evident through genomic sequencing, vocalizations, and specific morphological traits.

An international team of scientists from institutions including the University of California, Berkeley, analyzed the complete genomes of 64 penguins from 10 different colonies. The study suggests that what was previously classified as a single species of gentoo penguin actually comprises four genetically distinct species: northern, southern, southeastern, and eastern.

The reference specimen for this new species had been held in the American Museum of Natural History in New York since 1897, though it was previously misidentified as a standard gentoo penguin.