1977 in paleontology

Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils.^[1] This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 1977.

[1]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Anemia gunni^[2]	Sp nov	Valid	Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		An anemiaceous fern	Anemia gunni
Lygodium larsoni^[2]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A Lygodium species fern. Synonymized with Lygodium kaulfussi.^[3]
Cyathea inequilateralis^[2]	Comb nov	valid	(Hollick) Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska	Cyathea pinnata (1952)^[4]^[3] Hemitelia pinnata (1941)^[4]	A Cyathea species tree fern. Moved from Pteris inequilateralis (1936)^[5]	Cyathea inequilateralis
Dryopteris alaskana^[2]	Comb nov	valid	(Hollick) Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A Dryopteris species fern. Moved in part from Asplenium alaskanum (1936)^[5] Possibly actually belonging to Thelypteridaceae.^[3]	Dryopteris alaskana

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Alangium bergensis^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A dogwood relative.
Alangium oregonensis^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Eocene	Bridge Creek Flora	USA Oregon		A dogwood relative.
Allophylus duktothensis^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A soap berry relative.
Alnus martini^[2]	Sp nov	Valid	Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		An alder species.	Alnus martini
Anamirta milleri^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A moon seed relative.	Anamirta milleri
Calkinsia dilleri^[2]	Comb nov		(Knowlton) Wolfe	Eocene		USA Oregon		A moon seed relative. Moved from Calkinsia dilleri (1968)^[7]
Calkinsia plafkeri^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A moon seed relative.	Calkinsia plafkeri
Camelia oregona^[2]	Comb nov		(Chaney & Sanborn) Wolfe	Eocene Middle Eocene	Fisher Formation "Goshen flora"	USA Oregon		A theaceous relative. Moved from Ilex oregona (1933)
Cinnamomophyllum bendirei^[2]	Comb nov		(Knowlton) Wolfe	Eocene	Bridge Creek Flora	USA Oregon		A lauraceous relative. Moved from Sassafras bendirei (1940)^[7]
Cinnamomophyllum eocernua^[2]	Comb nov		(Chaney & Sanborn) Wolfe	Eocene Middle Eocene	Fisher Formation "Goshen flora"	USA Oregon		A lauraceous relative. Moved from Octoea eocernua (1933)
Cinnamomophyllum kushtakensis^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A lauraceous relative.
Cinnamomophyllum latum^[2]	Comb nov		(MacGinitie) Wolfe	Late Eocene	Ione Formation	USA California		A lauraceous relative. Moved from Litsea lata (1952)^[4] First named Neolitsea lata (1941)	Cinnamomophyllum latum
Dicotylophyllum carbonensis^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A "dicot" of unknown affinity.
Dicotylophyllum kummerensis^[2]	Comb nov	jr synonym	(Wolfe) Wolfe	Late Eocene "Upper Ravenian"	Puget Group "below Cashman bed" Loc 9731	USA Washington		A dicot of uncertain affinity. Moved from Artocarpoides kummerensis 1968.^[7] Moved to Republica kummerensis (1987)^[8]
Doona? chaneyi^[7]	Comb nov	valid	(Potbury) Wolfe	Latest Eocene-Earliest Oligocene	La Porte Tuff	USA California		A Shorea (syn "Doona") species. Moved from Rhamnidium chaneyi (1935)^[9]
Dracontomelon sanbornae^[2]	Sp nov	valid	Wolfe	Middle Eocene	Fisher Formation "Comstock flora"	USA Oregon		An anacardiaceous species.
Euodia alaskana^[2]	Sp nov	Valid	Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A Euodia species.
Euptelea orientalis^[2]	Comb nov	valid	(Sanborn) Wolfe	Middle Eocene	Fisher Formation "Comstock flora"	USA Oregon		A eupteleaceous species. Moved from Diospyros orientalis (1935)
Fagopsis groenlandica^[2]	Comb nov	Jr synonym	(Heer) Wolfe	Eocene		Greenland		A fagaceous relative. Moved from Quercophyllum groenlandicus (1963)
Fagus oregona^[2]	Comb nov	Jr synonym	(Chaney & Sanborn) Wolfe	Eocene		USA Oregon		A fagaceous relative. Moved from Tetracera oregona (1933)
Fortunearia weedi^[2]	Comb nov	valid	(Sanborn) Wolfe	Middle Eocene	Yellowstone Formation	USA Wyoming		A hamamelidaceous species. Moved from Quercus weedii (1899)
Goweria alaskana^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		An icacinaceous species.
Heteromeles cuprovallis^[2]	Comb nov		(Axelrod) Wolfe	Late Eocene	Copper Basin Flora	USA		An toyon species. Moved from Salix cuprovallis (1966)
Ilex carbonensis^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A holly species.
Kandelia wangi^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A mangrove species.
Limacia stenophylla^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A moon seed relative.	Limacia stenophylla
Litseaphyllum^[2]	Gen et Sp et comb nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A lauraceous morphogenus. The genus includes L. carbonensis, L. katallaensis L. schorni New combinations moved from Cryptocarya presamarensis (1935), Laurus similis (1900), Magnolia californica (1935), Nectandra presanguinea (1933), Persea praelingue (1935)
Luvunga spatioea^[2]	Comb nov	valid	(Hollick) Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A citrus relative. Moved from Persea spatiosa (1936)^[5]
Mastixia irregularis^[2]	Comb nov		(Hollick) Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A tuplo relative. Moved from Cornus irregularis (1936)
Melanorrhoea alaskana^[2]	Comb nov	Jr synonym	(Hollick) Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		An anacardioid relative. Moved from Semecarpus alaskana (1936) Recombined as Gluta alaskana.
Meliosma duktothensis^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A sabiaceous species.
Miquelia californica^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Ione Formation	USA California		An icacinaceous species.
Nelumbo aureavallis^[6]	Sp nov	Valid	Hickey	Ypresian	Golden Valley Formation Camels Butte Member	USA North Dakota		A water lilly
Palaeophytocrene elytraeformis^[2]	Comb nov		(Hollick) Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		An icacinaceous species. Moved from Carpolithes elytraeformis (1936)
Parashorea cashmanensis^[2]	Comb nov		(Wolfe) Wolfe	Late Eocene "Upper Ravenian"	Puget Group "below Cashman bed" Loc 9731	USA Washington		A Parashorea dipterocarpaceous species. Moved from Rhamnites cashmanensis (1968).^[7]
Paratinomiscium^[2]	Gen et comb nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A moon seed relative. The type species is Hampea conditionalis (1936)^[5]	Paratinomiscium conditionalis
Peltandra primaeva^[6]	Sp nov	Valid	Hickey	Ypresian	Golden Valley Formation Camels Butte Member loc. 14048	USA North Dakota		An arrow arum species.
Phytocrene acutissima^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		An icacinaceous species.
Plafkeria^[2]	Nom et comb nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Renton Formation	USA Washington		A tiliaceous genus. A replacement genus name for "Willisia" Wolfe (1968) The type species is "W." rentonensis. Also includes P. obliquifolia (1925)
Platanus comstocki^[2]	Comb nov	valid	(Sanborn) Wolfe	Middle Eocene	Fisher Formation "Comstock flora"	USA Oregon		A plane tree species. Moved from Mallotus comstocki (1935)
Platanus macginitiei^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Middle Eocene	Fisher Formation "Goshen flora"	USA Oregon		A plane tree species. New species for "Platanus aceroides" (Chaney & Sanborn 1933)
Platycarya pseudobrauni^[2]	Comb nov	valid	(Hollick) Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska	Fraxinus lateralis (1936) Planera aquaticiformis (1936)	A Platycarya species. Moved from Ulmus pseudobraunii (1936)	Platycarya pseudobrauni
Porosia^[6]	Gen et comb nov		Hickey	Ypresian	Golden Valley Formation Bear Den Member loc. 14056a	USA North Dakota		A bur-reed. A new genus for Carpites verrucosa (1878)
Prunus axelrodi^[2]	Comb et nom nov		(Axelrod) Wolfe	Late Eocene	Copper Basin Flora	USA		A cherry/plum species. Moved from Euonymus nevadensis (1966) new specific name given as Prunus nevadensis preoccupied.
Rubus eolaciniata^[10]	Comb nov		(MacGinitie) Tanai & Wolfe	Early - early Middle Miocene	Weaverville Formation	USA California		A blackberry leaf morphospecies. First named as Ulmus eolaciniate (1937)
Pterocarya orientalis^[2]	Comb nov		(MacGinitie) Wolfe	Late Oligocene		USA Oregon		A wing nut species. Moved from Juglans orientalis (1937)
Sageretia laurinea^[2]	Comb nov		(Lesquereux) Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		An icacinaceous species. Moved from Phyllites laurinea (1941)
Salix carbonensis^[2]	Sp nov	Valid	Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A willow species.
Salix coatsi^[2]	Comb nov		(Axelrod) Wolfe	Late Eocene	Copper Basin Flora	USA		A willow species. Moved from Lithocarpus coatsi (1966)
Sorbus carbonensis^[2]	Sp nov	Valid	Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A mountain ash species.
Sparganium parvum^[6]	Sp nov		Hickey	Ypresian	Golden Valley Formation Bear Den Member loc. 14056a	USA North Dakota		A bur-reed
Stemonurus alaskanus^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A stemonuraceous species.
Tetracentron piperoides^[2]	Comb nov	Valid?	(Lesquereux) Wolfe	Late Eocene	Ione Formation	USA California	synonymy Ceanothus idahoensis (1935) Cercidiphyllum elongatum (1939) Populus smilacifolia (1920) Populus zaddachi (1878) Trochodendroides zaddacki (1935) Zizyphus californica (1919) Zizyphus microphyUus (Lesquereux) (1878)	A Tetracentron species. Moved from Cercidiphyllum piperoides (1952)^[4]	Tetracentron piperoides
Tilia carbonensis^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A tiliaceous species.
Ulmus chaneyi^[10]	Sp nov	valid	Tanai & Wolfe	Eocene Rupelian	John Day Formation Bridge Creek Flora	USA Oregon		An Elm leaf morphospecies.
Ulmus knowltoni^[10]	Sp nov	valid	Tanai & Wolfe	Miocene	"Collawash Flora"	USA Oregon		An Elm leaf morphospecies.
Zelkova browni^[10]	Sp nov	valid	Tanai & Wolfe	Miocene	"Collawash Flora"	USA Oregon	synonymy Zelkova oregoniana non (Knowlton) Brown nec Brown, 1937 Zelkova ungeri non Kovats nec Becker, 1969 Fagopsis longifolia non (Lesquereux) Hollick nec Berry, 1929 Quercus mccanni non Berry nec Axelrod, 1964 ?Ulmus fernquisti 1926 ?Zelkova nevadensis 1956	An Elm leaf morphospecies.
Zizyphus alaskanus^[2]	Sp nov		Wolfe	Late Eocene	Kulthieth Formation	USA Alaska		A buckthorn relative.

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Amyzon aggregatum^[13]	Sp nov	Valid	Wilson	Eocene Ypresian	Okanagan Highlands Horsefly Shales	Canada British Columbia	An Amyzon species catostomid
Eosalmo^[13]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Wilson	Eocene Ypresian	Okanagan Highlands Driftwood Shales	Canada British Columbia	A basal salmonid relative. The type species is E. driftwoodensis	Eosalmo driftwoodensis
Libotonius^[13]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Wilson	Eocene Ypresian	Okanagan Highlands Allenby Formation	Canada British Columbia	A libotoniid sand roller relative. The type species is L. blakeburnensis
Priscacara aquilonia^[13]	Sp nov	Valid	Wilson	Eocene Ypresian	Okanagan Highlands Horsefly Shales	Canada British Columbia	A Priscacara species temperate bass.

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Fulengia^[15]	Gen et sp nov	Nomen dubium	Carroll & Galton	Early Jurassic	Lufeng Formation	China	Possible synonym of Lufengosaurus.
Opisthocoelicaudia^[16]	Gen et sp Nov	Valid	Borsuk-Bialynicka	Late Cretaceous Maastrichtian	Nemegt Formation	Mongolia	A saltasaurid Titanosaur.	Opisthocoelicaudia skarzynskii
Othnielia^[17]	Gen et comb nov	jr synonym	Galton	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian - Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	USA ( Colorado)	JR synonym of Nanosaurus agilis.	Nanosaurus agilis
Piveteausaurus^[18]	Gen et comb nov	Valid	Taquet & Welles	Middle Jurassic (Callovian)	Marnes de Dives Formation	France	A Megalosaur. Moved from Eustreptospondylus divesensis (1964)	Piveteausaurus divesensis
Saichania^[19]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Maryańska	Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)	Barun Goyot Formation	Mongolia	An ankylosaurine ankylosaurid	Saichania chulsanensis
"Shanshanosaurus"^[20]	Gen et sp nov	Jr synonym	Zhiming	Late Cretaceous (Campanian - Maastrichtian	Subashi Formation	China	A theropod. The type species is S. huoyanshanensis. Junior synonym of Tarbosaurus bataar.	Tarbosaurus bataar
Tarchia^[19]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Maryańska	Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)	Barun Goyot Formation	Mongolia	An ankylosaurine ankylosaurid	Tarchia kielanae
Tuojiangosaurus^[21]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Dong et al	Late jurassic Oxfordian - Kimmeridgian	Shangshaximiao Formation	China	A Chinese Stegosaur.	Tuojiangosaurus multispinus
Valdosaurus^[22]	Gen et comb nov	Valid	Galton	Early Cretaceous (Berriasian - Barremian)	Wessex Formation	UK Isle of Wight	A Dryosaur. moved from Dryosaurus canaliculatus (1975)	Valdosaurus canaliculatus
Wannanosaurus^[23]		Valid taxon	Hou			China	A Primitive Pachycephalosaur	Wannanosaurus
"Yezosaurus"	not formally described	Nomen nudum.	Obata & Muramoto				A Non-dinosaurian marine reptile. Type species "Y." mikasaensis	Taniwhasaurus

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Argillipes ^[24]	Gen et sp nov.	Valid	Harrison & Walker	Early Eocene		UK	Described as a phasianid. The type species is A. aurorum & includes A. paralectoris Considered Aves Incertae Sedis by Mlíkovský (2002)^[25]
Buthierax ^[26]	Gen et sp nov.	Valid	Kretzoi	Middle Pleistocene		Greece	An Incertae Sedis Accipitridae The type species is B. pouliani
Cepphus storeri ^[27]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Harrison	Late Pliocene		UK	An Alcidae guillemot.
Ciconia sarmatica ^[28]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Grigorescu & Kessler	Early Miocene Sarmatian		Romania	A Ciconiidae.
Cinclodes major ^[29]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Tonni	Middle Pleistocene		Argentina	A Furnariidae.
Coturnipes ^[24]	Gen et sp nov.	Valid	Harrison & Walker	Early Eocene		UK	Described as a phasianid The type species is C. cooperi Considered "Aves Incertae Sedis" by Olson, 1999
Gallus beremendensis ^[30]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Jánossy	Late Pliocene		Hungary	A Phasianidae.
Limnofregata ^[31]	Subfam, gen et sp nov.	Valid	Olson	Early Eocene	Green River Formation Fossil Butte Member	USA ( Wyoming)	A Limnofregatinae frigatebird. The type species L. azygosternon	Limnofregata azygosternon
Malacorhynchus scarletti ^[32]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Olson	Holocene		New Zealand	An Anatidae.
Marinavis ^[24]	Fam, gen et sp nov.	Valid	Harrison & Walker	Early Eocene		UK	Described as a marinavid procelariiforme The type species is M. longirostris
Microena ^[24]	Gen et sp nov.	Valid	Harrison & Walker	Early Eocene		UK	Described in the Columbidae The type species is M. goodwini. Considered as "Aves Inceretae Sedis" by Mlíkovský 2002,^[25] Possibly a "Coraciiformes" or "Caprimulgiformes"/Apodiformes, per Mayr, 2009.
Neptuniavis ^[24]	Gen et sp. nov.	Valid	Harrison & Walker	Early Eocene		UK	A possible Procellariidae The type species is N. miranda and includes N. minor Possibly a synonym of Dasornis.
Oxyura zapatanima ^[33]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Alvarez	Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene	Jocotopec sand and gravel Quarry	Mexico	An Anatidae.
Parvicuculus ^[24]	Gen et sp nov.	Valid	Harrison & Walker	Early Eocene		UK	A Parvicuculidae THe type species is P. minor
Parvigyps ^[24]	Gen et sp nov.	Valid	Harrison & Walker	Early Eocene		UK	Described as a Accipitridae The type species is P. praecox Considered "Aves Incertae Sedis" by Mlíkovský (2002)^[25]
Percolinus ^[24]	Gen et sp nov.	jr synonym	Harrison & Walker	Early Eocene		UK	Described as a Phasianidae The type species is P. venablesi a jr synonym of Gypsornis (2002),^[25]
Phalacrocorax chapalensis ^[33]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Alvarez	Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene	Jocotopec sand and gravel quarry	Mexico	A Phalacrocoracidae.
Pinguinus alfrednewtoni ^[34]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Olson	Early Pliocene	Chesapeake Group	USA ( Maryland)	An Alcidae.	Pinguinus alfrednewtoni
Precursor ^[24]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Harrison & Walker	Early Eocene		UK	A glareolid The type species is P. parvus Other species are P. litorum and P. magnus.
Primodroma ^[24]	Gen et sp nov.	Valid	Harrison & Walker	Early Eocene		UK	A Hydrobatidae The type species is P. bournei.
Primoscens ^[24]	Fam, gen et sp nov.	Valid	Harrison & Walker	Early Eocene		UK	A "Primoscenidae" passeriform, The type species is P. minutus Moved to Zygodactylidae (2008),^[35]
Procuculus ^[24]	Gen et sp nov.	Valid	Harrison & Walker	Early Eocene		UK	A Parvicuculidae^[36] The type species is P. minutus Olson (1985) & Mayr, (2009) suggest possible synonymy with Primapus lacki.
Quipollornis ^[37]	Gen et sp nov.	Valid	Vickers Rich & McEvey	Early to Middle Miocene	Chalk Mountain Diatomite	Australia	An Aegothelidae The type species is Q. koniberi.
Rallus richmondi ^[38]	Nom. nov.	Valid	Olson	Late Miocene		Italy	A rail a new name for Rallus dubius Portis (1887), junior homonym of Rallus dubius Piller & Mitterpacher (1783).
Sarmatosula ^[28]	Gen et sp nov.	Valid	Grigorescu & Kessler	Middle Miocene Sarmatian		Romania	A Sulidae The type species is S. dobrogensis
Shandongornis ^[39]	Gen et sp nov.	Valid	Yeh	Middle Miocene	Shanwang Series	China	A Phasianidae The type species is S. shanwanensis.	Shandongornis
Xenicibis ^[40]	Gen et sp nov.	Valid	Olson & Steadman	Quaternary	Cave deposits	Jamaica	A Threskiornithidae The type species is X. xympithecus.

1977 in paleontology

Ferns

Conifers

Angiosperms

Invertebrates

Mollusks

Conodonts

Fish

Archosauriformes

Non-avian dinosaurs

Birds

Pterosaurs

Expeditions, field work, and fossil discoveries

Popular culture

Literature

References

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