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A new penguin species waddles onto the scene

WBUR
Published October 5, 2026 at 10:08 AM MDT
A Gentoo penguin, which researchers divide into four distinct species, one of which was previously unknown to scientists. (Courtesy of Keith Barnes)
Courtesy of Keith Barnes
A Gentoo penguin, which researchers divide into four distinct species, one of which was previously unknown to scientists. (Courtesy of Keith Barnes)

Scientists have identified a new species of penguin in Antarctica.

Called Pygoscelis kerguelensis, it’s the first new Penguin species named in over a century.

Host Robin Young speaks with Rauri Bowie, professor of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and one of the co-authors of the penguin study.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

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