In February 2023, I saw the news that a giant penguin fossil had been found on the coast in New Zealand. This seemed a good source idea for music, and then Brain approached me about doing a new piece. What if extinct marine life was collected in an aquarium? I decided to compose a suite about it. I asked Chat GPT what kind of animals would be suitable for this theme, several candidates were suggested, and finally I decided on this four movement suite.

I. Ammonite - Architects of the Sea
Ammonites were the most prolific marine organisms at the time they existed. They played a significant role in marine ecosystems and contributed to the evolution of many organisms. Because they are thought to have been structured to reproduce very efficiently and their habitats were widely distributed, ammonite fossils continue to be an important source of information for scientists studying the history of the oceans as an index fossil.

II. Scaumenacia - Silent Predator of the Deep
It was a lungfish with lungs, belonging to the group represented by coelacanths, which are also called living fossils, of which are currently only six species in the world.
This species was discovered in the Devonian layer in Miguasha National Park, Canada. They are characterized by a graceful and large dorsal fin. It is speculated that this fin helped stabilize their bodies and change direction, and it is believed that they slowly swam on the surface and bottom, searching for prey.

III. Kumimanu - The Giant Penguins Strut
Fossil remains of a giant penguin was discovered at Hampden Beach, Otago, New Zealand.
Estimated from wing and leg bones, it weighed about 100 kg and was 1.7meters long. This is one of the oldest penguin fossils discovered so far, indicating that penguins became huge not long after becoming flightless seabirds.
Their large bodies were believed to have been advantageous for diving deeper for long periods to catch fish and other prey. Their extinction is thought to have been caused by the rise of mammals such as whales and seals.

IV.Dorudon - The Fearless Glide Through Waters
Dorudons are genus of cetaceans that lived during the Eocene epoch, approximately 41 million to 33.9 million years ago. They are about 4 to 5 meters long, and had muscular, streamlined bodies similar to dolphins and sharp teeth to catch fish and other small prey. Although not suited for land, they had four limbs, which may have been used to improve swimming stability. It is estimated that they swam relatively fast, up to 25 mph (40 km/h).

(Naoya Wada)