Why the great auk is making headlines

I know about the black and white birds called auk. Is this a bigger auk?
They used to be really big — around 30 inches on their feet.

Why do you say “used to be”?
They are extinct, since the mid-19th century.

How did that happen?
Eaten by humans, mostly.

Can you really blame humans for this?
A new research paper says so. They took DNA from the remains of the last birds found alive in 1844 and found the DNA had enough variety across regions to survive natural climate change or disease. The birds were popular food for sailors.

Where were these birds found?
Mostly along the coastlines of north America, Greenland and Europe. They thrived in cold waters.

They look like penguins.
That’s another story. Their scientific name is Pinguinus impennis. They were the originals. The southern hemisphere penguins were named after them.

So there were penguins in the north, and they were eaten up?
While the great auk looks like a penguin, they are not related. Also, both had given up on flight to become good swimmers and divers.

So, who are they related to?
The smaller auks. The closest species is called razorbill.

The smaller auks — how did they survive?
Maybe because they can still fly small distances and avoid hunters.

A sad story, the great auks.
Guess what? Scientists are trying to mix their DNA with that of the razorbill to try recreate a bird similar to the great auk.

Oh, a sci-fi twist at the end.