1988 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 1988.

[1]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymy	Notes	Images
Hemiptelea mikii^[2]	sp nov		Minaki, Noshiro, & Suzuki	Pleistocene		Japan		An ulmaceous species
Keratosperma^[3]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Cevallos-Ferriz & Stockey	Eocene Ypresian	Okanagan Highlands Princeton Chert	Canada British Columbia		A lasioid arum family seed genus. The type species is K. allenbyensis
Pistillipollianthus^[4]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Stockey & Manchester	Eocene Ypresian	Okanagan Highlands Horsefly Shales	Canada British Columbia		A flower of uncertain affinities The type species is P. wilsoni. Producer of the Pistillipollenites macgregorii palynomorph.
Salmonensea^[5]	Gen et Comb nov	Valid	Wolfe & Wehr	late Middle Eocene	Salmon Flora	USA Idaho		A rosaceous genus The type species is S. prefoliolosa Moved from Chamaebatia prefoliolosa (1935)	Salmonensea prefoliolosa
Sorbaria wahrhaftigii^[5]	Sp nov	Valid	Wolfe & Wehr	Eocene latest Eocene	Rex Creek Flora	USA Alaska		A rosaceous species	Sorbaria wahrhaftigii
Stockeya^[5]	Gen, sp et Comb nov	Valid	Wolfe & Wehr	late Oligocene	Creede Formation	USA Colorado	Chamaebatiaria creedensis (1937)	A rosaceous genus The type species is S. creedensis Also includes S. montana	Stockeya montana
Stonebergia^[5]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Wolfe & Wehr	Eocene Ypresian	Okanagan Highlands Allenby Formation	Canada British Columbia		A rosaceous genus The type species is S. columbiana	Stonebergia columbiana

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Aneuretellus^[9]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Dlussky	Middle Eocene	Sakhalin amber	Russia	An aneuretine ant
Protopone primigena^[9]^[10]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Dlussky	Middle Eocene	Sakhalin amber	Russia	A ponerine ant	Protopone primigena
Zherichinius^[9]	Gen et 2 sp nov	valid	Dlussky	Middle Eocene	Sakhalin amber	Russia	A dolichoderine ant The type species is Z. horiibilis Also includes Z. rapax	Zherichinius horribilis

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymy	Notes	Images
Anserimimus^[12]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Barsbold	Late Cretaceous	Nemegt Formation	Mongolia		An ornithomimid theropod	Anserimimus planinychus
Brachylophosaurus goodwini^[13]	Sp nov	Junior synonym	Horner	Campanian	McClellend Ferry Member, Judith River Formation	USA Montana		A saurolophine hadrosaurid. Junior synonym of Brachylophosaurus canadensis or an indeterminate brachylophosaurin.^[14]
Cathetosaurus^[15]^[16]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Jensen	Late Jurassic		USA Colorado		A camarasauromorph sauropod The type species is C. lewisi	Cathetosaurus lewisi
"Chassternbergia"^[17]	Subgen Nov	Junior synonym	Bakker	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Canada Alberta		Jr synonym of Edmontonia	Edmontonia rugosidens
Denversaurus^[17]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Bakker	Cretaceous late Maastrichtian	Lance Formation	USA		A nodosaurid	Denversaurus schlessmani (on left)
Giraffatitan	Gen et comb nov	Valid	Paul	Late Jurassic	Tendaguru formation	Tanzania	Brachiosaurus brancai 1914 Brachiosaurus fraasi 1914	A sauropod The type species is G. brancai	Giraffatitan brancai
"Hironosaurus"	Gen nov	Nomen nudum	Hisa	Late Cretaceous		Japan		A possible hadrosaurid, undescribed
"Kagasaurus"	Gen nov	Nomen nudum	Hisa	Early Cretaceous		Japan		A possible dromeosaurid, undescribed
Kotasaurus^[18]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Yadagiri	Early Jurassic	Kota Formation	India		A basal sauropod
Nanotyrannus^[19]	Gen et comb nov	Valid?	Bakker, Williams, & Currie	Late Cretaceous	Lance Formation	USA Montana		Possible junior synonym of Tyrannosaurus.	Nanotyrannus lancensis
Orodromeus^[20]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Horner & Weishampel	Cretaceous Campanian	Two Medicine Formation			An ornithopod The type species is O. makelai	Orodromeus makelai
"Protognathus"^[21]	Gen et sp nov	Senior synonym	Zhang	Middle Jurassic	Shaximiao Formation	China		Junior homonym of Protognathus Basilewsky, 1950; (syn. for Pseudognathaphanus, Schauberger, 1932); renamed Protognathosaurus in 1991
"Stenotholus"^[22]	Gen et sp nov	Junior synonym	Giffin, Gabriel, & Johnson	Late Cretaceous	Hell Creek Formation	USA Montana		Junior synonym of Stygimoloch	Stygimoloch spinifer

Name	Status	Novelty	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes
Ciconia kahli ^[23]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Haarhoff	Early Pliocene	Varswater Formation	South Africa	A Ciconiidae.
Diomedea rumana ^[24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Grigorescu & Kessler	Middle Miocene		Romania	A Diomedeidae.
Gymnogyps kofordi ^[25]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Emslie	Pleistocene Irvingtonian		USA Florida	A Cathartidae.
Hadrogyps ^[26]	Valid	Gen. et sp. nov.	Emslie	Middle Miocene Barstovian	Round Mountain Silt	USA California	A cathartid The type species is H. aigialeus.
Jungornis ^[27]	Valid	Fam, gen et sp nov.	Karkhu	Early Oligocene	Maykop Formation	Russia	A Jungornithidae Apodiformes the type species is J. tesselatus.
Lithornis ^[28]	Valid	Subord, Fam, Gen et sp. nov.	Houde	Late Paleocene Early Tiffanian	Fort Union Formation	USA Montana	A lithornithid palaeognathaen The genus includes L. celetius, L. plebius, & L. promiscuus
Messelornis ^[29]	Valid	Fam, gen et sp nov.	Hesse	Eocene Ypresian	Messel Formation	Germany Hessen	A Messelornithidae Ralliformes The type species is M. cristata.
Morus olsoni ^[24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Grigorescu & Kessler	Middle Miocene		Romania	A Sulidae.
Pachyplichas^[30]	Valid	Gen et sp. nov.	Millener	Late Quaternary Otiran Glacial Stage?		New Zealand	An Acanthisittidae The type species is P. yaldwyni. Also includes P. jagmi
Phocavis maritimus ^[31]	Valid	Gen et Sp nov.	Goedert	Late Eocene	Keasey Formation	USA Oregon	A Plotopteridae Pelecaniformes The type species is P. maritimus
Porphyrio paepae ^[32]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Steadman	Holocene	Tahuata & Hiva Oa	French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	A Rallidae.
Primocolius ^[33]	Valid	Gen et sp. nov.	Mourer-Chauviré	Late Eocene	Phosphorites du Quercy	France	A Coliidae. The type species is P. sigei Also includes P. minor
Pseudocrypturus ^[28]	Valid	Gen et sp. nov.	Houde	Eocene Ypresian	Green River Formation	USA Wyoming	A Lithornithidae Palaeognathae. The type species is P. cercanaxius.
Psilopterus colzecus ^[34]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Tonni & Tambussi	Late Miocene Chasicoan	Arroyo Chasicó Formation	Argentina	A Psilopterinae Phorusrhacidae.
Sula tasmani ^[35]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Tets, Meredith, Fullagar, & Davidson	Holocene	Lord Howe & Norfolk Islands	Australia New South Wales	A Sulidae,
Sylphornis ^[33]	Valid	Fam, gen et sp. nov.	Mourer-Chauviré	Late Eocene		France	A Sylphornithidae basal Piciformes The type species is S. bretouensis
Taubacrex ^[36]	Valid	Gen et sp. nov.	Alvarenga	Late Oligocene-Early Miocene	Tremembé Formation	Brazil	A Quercymegapodiidae^[37] the type species is T. granivora
Tshulia ^[38]	Valid	Gen et sp. nov.	Nessov	Late Paleocene		Kazakhstan	A possible Rallidae The type species is T. litorea
Ventivorus ^[33]	Valid	Gen et sp. nov.	Mourer-Chauviré	Late Eocene		France	A Caprimulgidae The type species is V. ragei.
Zheroia ^[38]	Valid	Gen et sp. nov.	Nessov	Eocene Bartonian		Uzbekistan	A Graculavidae genus The type species is Z. kurochkini.
Zhylgaia ^[38]	Valid	Gen et sp nov.	Nessov	Late Paleocene		Kazakhstan	A Prophaethontidae Pelecaniformes The type species is Z. aestiflua

1988 in paleontology

Angiosperms

Arthropods

Crustaceans

Insects

Archosauromorphs

Newly named non-avian dinosaurs

Newly named birds

Pterosaurs

New taxa

References

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