1940 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 1940.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
+...

Plants edit

Angiosperms edit

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Eucommia eocenica[2]

Sp nov

valid

(Berry) Brown

Middle Eocene

Claiborne Formation

  USA
  Tennessee

new generic placement of Simaroubites eocenica

Eucommia montana[2]

Sp nov

valid

Brown

Middle Eocene

Renova Formation

  USA
  Montana

Eucommia species, found across Western North America

 
Eucommia montana

Pseudolarix americana[3]

Sp nov.

nomen nudum

Brown

Ypresian

Klondike Mountain Formation

  USA
  Washington

A golden larch species,
split into Pseudolarix arnoldii and Pseudolarix wehrii in 1992

 
Pseudolarix wehrii

Tetrapteris simsoni[4][5]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Brown

Middle Eocene

Clarno Formation

  USA
  Oregon

A walnut relative.
Moved to Cruciptera simsonii in 1991

Arthropods edit

insects edit

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Centrinus longipes[6]

Sp nov

valid

Piton

Thanetian

Menat Formation

  France

A weevil

 
Centrinus longipes

Lixus ligniticus[6]

Sp nov

valid

Piton

Thanetian

Menat Formation

  France

A weevil

 
Lixus ligniticus

Doryderes laticollis[6]

Sp nov

valid

Piton

Thanetian

Menat Formation

  France

A pentatomid stinkbug

 
Doryderes laticollis

Phaenolobus arvernus[6]

Sp nov

valid

Piton

Thanetian

Menat Formation

  France

An ichneumonid wasp

 
Phaenolobus arvernus

Archosauromorphs edit

Crurotarsans edit

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Asiatosuchus grangeri[7]

Gen. et. sp. nov

Valid

Mook

Upper Eocene

Irdin Manha Formation

  China

A crocodyloid.

Dinosaurs edit

Data from George Olshevky's dinosaur genera list.[8]

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Caenagnathus[9]

Valid

Sternberg

  Canada
  Alberta

 
Caenagnathus

Plesiosaurs edit

New taxa edit

Name Status Authors Location Images

Seeleyosaurus

Valid

White

Tremamesacleis

Jr. Synonym of Muraenosaurus.

White

Synapsids edit

Non-mammalian edit

Name Status Authors Age Location Notes Location

Aelurosauroides

Jr. Synonym of Aelurosaurus.

Aelurosauropsis

Valid

Haughton and Brink

Bienotherium

Valid

Young 193 Millions of years ago.

Dicynodontoides

Valid

Broom 257 Millions of years ago.

Leontocephalus

Jr. Synonym of Aelurognathus.

Nanictocephalus

Valid

Broom 257 Millions of years ago

Prorubidgea

Jr. Synonym of Aelurognathus

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 Call, V.B.; Dilcher, D.L. (1997). "The fossil record of Eucommia (Eucommiaceae) in North America". American Journal of Botany. 84 (6): 798–814. doi:10.2307/2445816. JSTOR 2445816. PMID 21708632. S2CID 20464075.
  3. ^ Gooch, N. L. (1992). "Two new species of Pseudolarix Gordon (Pinaceae) from the middle Eocene of the Pacific Northwest". PaleoBios. 14: 13–19.
  4. ^ Brown, R. W. (1940). "New species and changes of name in some American fossil floras. Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences". 30 (8): 344–356. JSTOR 24529454. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ Manchester, S.R. (1994). "Fruits and Seeds of the Middle Eocene Nut Beds Flora, Clarno Formation, Oregon". Palaeontographica Americana. 58: 30–31.
  6. ^ a b c d Piton, L. (1940). "Paléontologie du Gisement Éocéne de Menat (Puy-de-Dôme) (Flore et Faune)". Mémoire de la Société d'Histoire Naturelle d'Auvergne. 1: 1–303.
  7. ^ Mook, Charles Craig (December 26, 1940). "A new fossil crocodilian from Mongolia". American Museum Novitates (1097): 1–3. hdl:2246/2242.
  8. ^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  9. ^ Sternberg, R.M. 1940. A toothless bird from the Cretaceous of Alberta. J. Paleontol. 14: pp. 81-85.