Great Auk Skull Replica
$182.00
The great auk is an extinct species was once found in the Northern Atlantic from Maine to Scandinavia. A large flightless penguin-like bird, the great auk was a valued food source in historic times. It was driven to extinction by scientific collecting for museums and individuals.
- Description
- Additional information
Description
Great Auk Skull Replica (Pinguinus impennis) Information
Great auk skull replica measures 6.0 x 2.2 x 2.0 inches. Pinguinus impennis is museum-quality polyurethane resin cast from California Academy of Sciences specimen. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). 1:1. Made in USA.
The great auk is a species of flightless alcid that became extinct in the mid-19th century. They were carnivorous and flightless that lived along sea coasts.
It was the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus impennis. It is not closely related to the birds now known as penguins, which were discovered later and so named by sailors because of their physical resemblance to the great auk.
The great auk bred on rocky, isolated islands with easy access to the ocean and a plentiful food supply, a rarity in nature that provided only a few breeding sites for the great auks.
Scientific Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Charadriiformes
- Family: Alcidae
- Genus: †Pinguinus
- Species: †P. impennis
- Binomial name: †Pinguinus impennis
- Conservation Status: Extinct
The great auk skull replica captures the specialized morphology of Pinguinus impennis, the iconic flightless alcid of the North Atlantic. Biologists study these 1:1 scale casts meticulously reproduced from an original California Academy of Sciences (CAS) specimen to analyze the robust cranial adaptations of this once-prolific marine carnivore. Upgrade your research display with the California gull skull replica, common murre skull replica, and Darwin’s finches set of twelve skulls replica. Find more high-fidelity specimens available in our bird or aves replica store.
Additional information
| Weight | 4.9 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 6.1 × 2.2 × 2.0 in |
