1980 in paleontology

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 1980.

Arthropods

Insects

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Anochetus corayi[5]

Sp nov

Valid

Baroni Urbani

Burdigalian

Dominican amber

Dominican Republic

A ponerin ant

Anochetus corayi

Trachymyrmex primaevus[6]

Sp nov

Valid

Baroni Urbani

Burdigalian

Dominican amber

Dominican Republic

A Myrmicin ant

Trachymyrmex primaevus

Molluscs

Newly named bivalves

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Pojetaia[7]

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Jell

Early Cambrian

Parara Limestone

Australia

early Cambrian bivalve, type species P. runnegari

Archosauromorphs

Newly named dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[8]

Note: the name Lancangosaurus[9] is mistakenly treated as a nomen nudum synonymous with Datousaurus (because Dong et al. 1983 believed it to be conspecific with Datousaurus). However, it is actually an early spelling variant of another nomen nudum, Lancangjiangosaurus.

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Callovosaurus[10]

Gen et sp nov

valid

Galton

Callovian

Oxford Clay Formation

England

A dryosaurid, That its name means Reptile of Callovian.

Dracopelta[11]

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Galton

Kimmeridgian

Portugal

A Primitive ankylosaurian

Erlikosaurus[12]

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Perle

Cenomanian-Santonian

Bayan Shireh Formation

Mongolia

A therizinosaurid

Erlikosaurus

Kakuru[13]

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Molnar & Pledge

Aptian

Marree Formation

Australia

A Theropoda of uncertain phylogenetic classification.

Minmi[14]

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Molnar

Aptian

Bungil Formation

Australia

An Australian ankylosaurid

Minmi

Noasaurus[15]

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Bonaparte & Powell

Campanian-Maastrichtian

Lecho Formation

Argentina

A Noasaurid

Noasaurus

Saltasaurus[15]

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Bonaparte & Powell

Campanian-Maastrichtian

Lecho Formation

Argentina

A Saltasaurid, a Sauropod with Ankylosaur-like armor

Saltasaurus

Zephyrosaurus[16]

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Sues

Aptian-Albian

Cloverly Formation

USA ( Montana Maryland Virginia

A thescelosaurid

Newly named birds

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Alectoris baryosefi[17]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Eitan Tchernov

Pleistocene

MQ 1b

Israel

A Phasianidae.

Anser thompsoni[18]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Larry D. Martin

Robert M. Mengel

Late Pliocene

Blancan

Broadwater Formation

USA:

Nebraska

An Anatidae.

Apopempsis africanus[19]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Colin J. O. Harrison

Early Miocene

Songhor

Kenya

A Musophagidae, transferred to the genus Veflintornis Kashin, 1976, Apopempsis Brodkorb, 1971 preoccupied by Apopempsis Schenkling, 1903.

Archaeotrogon hoffstetteri[20]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Cécile Mourer-Chauviré

Eocene or Oligocene

Phosphorites du Quercy

MP 16-28

France

An Apodiformes, Archaeotrogonidae Mourer-Chauviré, 1980.

Ardea howardae[21]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Pierce Brodkorb

Late Pliocene

Shungura Formation,

1.94 My BP

Ethiopia

An Ardeidae.

Argentavis magnificens[22]

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Valid

Kenneth E. Campbell, jr.

Eduado P. Tonni

Late Miocene

Salinas Grandes de Hidalgo

Argentina

A Teratornithidae Miller, 1909, this is the type species of the new genus.

Argentavis

Burhinus aquilonaris[23]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Alan Feduccia

Pleistocene

Sanborn Formation

USA:

Kansas

A Burhinidae.

Ciconia minor[19]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Colin J. O. Harrison

Early Miocene

Rusinga Island

Kenya

A Ciconiidae.

Crex zazhigini[24]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Evgeny N. Kurochkin

Early Pliocene

MN 14-15

Mongolia

A Rallidae, transferred to the genus Pastushkinia Zelenkov, 2013 as its type species.[25]

Eostrix vincenti[26]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Colin J. O. Harrison

Early Eocene

Ypresian,

MP 7-10

UK:

England

A Strigiformes, Strigida, Protostrigidae Wetmore, 1933.

Gallinula gigantea[17]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Eitan Tchernov

Pleistocene

Israel

A Rallidae.

Juncitarsus gracillimus[27]

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Valid

Storrs L. Olson

Alan Feduccia

Early Middle Eocene

Bridger Formation

USA:

Wyoming

A Phoenicopteriformes Fürbringer, 1888, Juncitarsidae Peters, 1987, this is the type species of the new genus.

Larus dolnicensis[28]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Petr Švec

Early Miocene

MN 4b

Czechoslovakia

Described as a Laridae, transferred to the Glareolidae, genus Mioglareola Ballmann, 1979 by Mlíkovský, 2000.[29]

Linquornis gigantis[30]

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Valid

Yeh Hsiang-k'uei

Middle Miocene

Shanwang Series

China

A Phasianidae, this is the type species of the new genus.

Milvus pygmeus[17]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Eitan Tchernov

Pleistocene

Israel

An Accipitridae.

Neophrontops ricardoensis[31]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Patricia Vickers Rich

Middle Miocene

Late Claredonian

USA;

California

An Accipitridae.

Palaeoaramides tugarinovi[24]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Evgeny N. Kurochkin

Miocene-Middle Pliocene

Chirgis Nuur series

Mongolia

A Rallidae.

Rallus risillus[24]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Evgeny N. Kurochkin

Miocene-Middle Pliocene

Chirgis Nuur series

Mongolia

A Rallidae, transferred to the genus Porzana by Kurochkin, 1985.[32]

Sinanas diatomas[30]

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Valid

Yeh Hsiang-k'uei

Middle Miocene

Shanwang bed sw2

China

An Anatidae, this is the type species of the new genus.

Sylviornis neocaledoniae[33]

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Valid

François Poplin

Holocene

Cave deposits

New Caledonia

Described as a Ratitae, transferred to the Craciformes, Megapodiidae and placed in its own family Sylviornithidae[34] by Mourer-Chauviré & Balouet, 2005, this is the type species of the new genus.

Tonsala hildegardae[35]

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Valid

Storrs L. Olson

Late Oligocene

Pysht Formation

USA:

Washington

A Pelecaniformes, Plotopteridae Howard, 1969, this is the type species of the new genus.

Tyto balearica[36]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Cécile Mourer-Chauviré

Josep A. Alcover

Salvador Moya

Juan Pons

Late Miocene-Pleistocene

MN 12-MN 18, MQ 2A-C

Spain;

Italy;

France;

Majorca;

Sardinia

A Tytonidae.

Zhongyuanus xichuanensis[37]

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Valid

Hou Lainhai

Early Eocene

Yuhuangding Group

China

A Gastornithidae Fürbringer, 1888, transferred to the genus Gastornis Hébert, 1855 by Buffetaut, 2013.,[38] this is the type species of the new genus.

Pterosauria

Lepidosauromorphs

References

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