1908 in paleontology

Summary

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 1908.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
+...

Arthropoda edit

Newly named insects edit

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Anabrus caudeli[2]

Sp nov

Cockerell

Eocene
Priabonian

Florissant Formation

  USA
  Colorado

A platycleidine tettigoniid Mormon cricket relative

 
Anabrus caudeli

Cecidomyia(?) pontaniiformis[2]

Sp nov

Cockerell

Eocene
Priabonian

Florissant Formation

  USA
  Colorado

A cecidomyiine gall midge gall
Gall on Myrica drymeia

 
Cecidomyia pontaniiformis
gall on Myrica drymeia

Dryobius miocenicus[2]

Sp nov

Beutenmüller & Cockerell

Eocene
Priabonian

Florissant Formation

  USA
  Colorado

A cerambycine longhorned beetle

 
Dryobius miocenicus

Electromyrmex[3]

Gen et sp nov

nom nudum

Wheeler

Lutetian

Baltic amber

  Europe

A nyrmicine ant. Type species E. klebsi
Validly described in 1910

 
Electromyrmex klebsi

Eriophyes(?) beutenmulleri[2]

Sp nov

Cockerell

Eocene
Priabonian

Florissant Formation

  USA
  Colorado

An eriophyid gall mite gall
Described from galls on a possible Salix leaf

 
Eriophyes beutenmulleri
galls on Salix sp.

Glossina oligocena[2]

Comb nov

(Scudder) Cockerell

Eocene
Priabonian

Florissant Formation

  USA
  Colorado

A Glossinid tsetse fly
moved from Paloestrus oligocenus (1892)

 
Glossina oligocenus

Lithogryllites[2]

Gen et sp nov

Cockerell

Eocene
Priabonian

Florissant Formation

  USA
  Colorado

A cricket relative
The type species is L. lutzii

 
Lithogryllites lutzii

Necrodes primaevus[2]

Sp nov

Beutenmüller & Cockerell

Eocene
Priabonian

Florissant Formation

  USA
  Colorado

A silphine carrion beetle

 
Necrodes primaevus

Nymphalites scudderi[2]

Sp nov

Beutenmüller & Cockerell

Eocene
Priabonian

Florissant Formation

  USA
  Colorado

A nymphaline brush-footed butterfly

 
Nymphalites scudderi

Panorpa arctiiformis[2]

Sp nov

Cockerell

Eocene
Priabonian

Florissant Formation

  USA
  Colorado

A scorpionfly

 
Panorpa arctiiformis

Phenacolestes[2]

Gen et sp nov

Cockerell

Eocene
Priabonian

Florissant Formation

  USA
  Colorado

A dysagrionine odonate
The type species is P. mirandus
Also tentatively included is P.(?) parallelus

 
Phenacolestes mirandus

Phymatodes volans[2]

Sp nov

Beutenmüller & Cockerell

Eocene
Priabonian

Florissant Formation

  USA
  Colorado

A callidiine cerambycine longhorned beetle

 
Phymatodes volans

Polystoechotes piperatus[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Cockerell

Eocene
Priabonian

Florissant Formation

  USA
  Colorado

An ithonid giant lacewing
Moved to Propsychopsis piperatus in 1943
moved to Polystoechotites piperatus in 2006

 
Polystoechotites piperatus

Archosauromorphs edit

Newly named basal archosauromorphs edit

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

"Scaphonyx"

Valid

Woodward

Late Triassic
(Carnian)

Santa Maria Formation

  Brazil

A hyperodapedontid rhynchosaur.

 

Newly named dinosaurs edit

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[4]

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Ankylosaurus[5] Valid taxon

Late Cretaceous (Lancian)

Hell Creek Formation Lance Formation Scollard Formation

An ankylosaurid.

 
Ankylosaurus
"Gigantosaurus"[6]

Preoccupied.

Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian)

Tendaguru Formation

  Tanzania

Preoccupied by Harry Govier Seeley, 1869 renamed Tornieria.

Halticosaurus[7] Nomen dubium.

Late Triassic (early Norian)

Stubensandstein

  Germany

A coelophysoid theropod.

"Pachysaurus"[8]

Preoccupied.

Late Triassic (middle Norian)

Trossingen Formation

  Germany

Preoccupied by Fitzinger, 1843 renamed Pachysauriscus.

Sellosaurus[8] Valid taxon

Late Triassic (early Norian)

Stubensandstein

  Germany

A plateosaurid sauropodomorph.

Synapsids edit

Non-mammalian edit

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Alopecodon

Valid

Broom

Middle Permian

Middle Abrahamskraal Formation

  South Africa

A scylaosaurid theriodont.

 
Tetraceratops

Kannemeyeria

Valid

Seeley

Early-Middle Triassic (late Olenekian to Anisian)

Burgersdorp Formation

  South Africa

A kannemeyeriid dicynodont.

Tetraceratops

Valid

Matthew

Early Permian

Arroyo Formation

  US

Possibly a basal therapsid.

Trochosuchus

Valid

Broom

Middle Permian

Middle Abrahamskraal Formation

  South Africa

A member of Trochosuchidae.

References edit

  1. ^ Gini-Newman, Garfield; Graham, Elizabeth (2001). Echoes from the past: world history to the 16th century. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. ISBN 9780070887398. OCLC 46769716.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Cockerell, T. (1908). "Fossil insects from Florissant, Colorado". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 24: 59–69.
  3. ^ Wheeler, W. M. (1915). "The ants of the Baltic amber". Schriften der Physikalisch-Okonomischen Gesellschaft zu Konigsberg. 55 (4): 56–59.
  4. ^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  5. ^ Brown, B. 1908. The Ankylosauridae, a new family of armoured dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 24: pp. 187-201.
  6. ^ Fraas, E. 1908. Ostafrikanische Dinosaurier. Mitteilungen aus dem Kgl. Naturalien-Kabinett zu Stuttgart: pp.105-144.
  7. ^ Huene, F. von. 1907/1908. Die Dinosaurier der Europaiaschen Triasformation mit Berucksichtiging der aussereuropaischen Vorkommnisse. Geol. Paleont. Abhandl. Suppl. 1: pp. 1-419.
  8. ^ a b Huene, F. von. 1908. Eine Zusammensteilung uber die englische Trias und Alter ihre Fossilen. Centralblatt fur Mineralogie, Geologie und Palaontologie, Stuttgart 1908: pp. 9-17.