Gentoo Penguin

SCI Name:  Pygoscelis papua
Protonym:  Aptenodytes papua Comment.Phys.Soc.Reg.Sci.Gotting. 3(1780) p.134,140 pl.3
Taxonomy:  Sphenisciformes / Spheniscidae / Pygoscelis
Taxonomy Code:  genpen1
Type Locality:  Falkland Islands.
Author:  Forster, JR
Publish Year:  1781
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

PYGOSCELIS
(Spheniscidae; Ϯ Gentoo Penguin P. papua) Gr. πυγη pugē  rump; σκελος skelos  leg (cf. “= elbow legs” (Hockey et al. 2005)); the short legs of the Gentoo Penguin are set far back on the body, forming, with the stiff tail, an efficient rudder for submarine swimming and pursuit, whilst the wings give powerful propulsion; "Genus Pygoscelis Wagl., Schwanzpinguin.  Genus novum.  Species: Aptenodytes papua Forst.  Der wesentlichste, äußere Character liegt in der Gestalt des Schnabels, welcher dem des Schweifreigers (Eurypyga) ähnlich ist, so wie in der beträchtlichen Länge des Schwanzes, der zum Rudern dient." (Wagler 1832); "Pygoscelis Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. [= col.] 281. Type, by monotypy, Aptenodytes papua Forster." (Peters 1931, 1, 30).
Var. Pygoscelys.
Synon. Dasycelis, Dasyrhamphus, Pucheramphus.

papou / papua / papuae
Papua or New Guinea  < Malay pepuah  curly, alluding to the hair of the indigenes.
● New Guinea; ex “Petit Lori Papou” of Sonnerat 1776 (Charmosyna).
● Erroneous implied TL. Papua (= Falkland Is.); ex “Manchot Papou” of Sonnerat 1776, who wrote that he had seen no fewer than three species of penguin in New Guinea! In fact, he never visited New Guinea, but many believed him: “Cette espèce, qu’on trouve à la Nouvelle-Guinée, aux îles des Papous et de Falkland” (Vieillot 1825) (Pygoscelis).
● Erroneous TL. Papua (= Falkland Is.); ex “Manchot Papou” of Sonnerat 1776 (syn. Pygoscelis papou).

SUBSPECIES

Gentoo Penguin (papua)
SCI Name: Pygoscelis papua papua
papou / papua / papuae
Papua or New Guinea  < Malay pepuah  curly, alluding to the hair of the indigenes.
● New Guinea; ex “Petit Lori Papou” of Sonnerat 1776 (Charmosyna).
● Erroneous implied TL. Papua (= Falkland Is.); ex “Manchot Papou” of Sonnerat 1776, who wrote that he had seen no fewer than three species of penguin in New Guinea! In fact, he never visited New Guinea, but many believed him: “Cette espèce, qu’on trouve à la Nouvelle-Guinée, aux îles des Papous et de Falkland” (Vieillot 1825) (Pygoscelis).
● Erroneous TL. Papua (= Falkland Is.); ex “Manchot Papou” of Sonnerat 1776 (syn. Pygoscelis papou).

Gentoo Penguin (ellsworthi)
SCI Name: Pygoscelis papua ellsworthi
ellsworthi
Lincoln Ellsworth (born William Linn Ellsworth) (1880-1951) US engineer, explorer in the Arctic, Antarctic and Amazonia (subsp. Pygoscelis papua).