Mike Pennington · Original image & credits · CC BY-SA 2.0
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EXTINCT LIFE
Great auk
Meet great auk—one more extraordinary life to discover.
Discover the expedition atlasA CLOSER LOOK
A reference overview
The great auk (Pinguinus impennis), also known as the penguin or garefowl, is an extinct species of flightless alcid that first appeared around 400,000 years ago and was driven to extinction by human exploitation in the mid-19th century. It was the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus. It was not closely related to the penguins of the Southern Hemisphere, which were named for their resemblance to this species.
Overview excerpt from Wikipedia contributors · Great auk, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Excerpt may be shortened. Overview retrieved 2026-10-09.
