1974 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 1974.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
+...

Bryophytes edit

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Ditrichites fylesi[2]

Sp nov

valid

Kuc

Ypresian

Allenby Formation

  Canada
  British Columbia

A possible ditrichaceous moss

Muscites maycocki[2]

Sp nov

valid

Kuc

Ypresian

Allenby Formation

  Canada
  British Columbia

A moss of uncertain placement

Muscites ritchiei[2]

Sp nov

valid

Kuc

Ypresian

Allenby Formation

  Canada
  British Columbia

A moss of uncertain placement

Palaeohypnum jovet-asti[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Kuc

Ypresian

Allenby Formation

  Canada
  British Columbia

An amblystegiaceous moss
Moved to Hypnites jovet-astiae in 1980[3]

Palaeohypnum steerei[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Kuc

Ypresian

Allenby Formation

  Canada
  British Columbia

An amblystegiaceous moss
Moved to Hypnites steerei in 1980[3]

Plants edit

Angiosperms edit

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Quercus paleocarpa[4]

Gen et sp nov

valid

Manchester

Middle Eocene

Clarno Formation

  US
  Oregon

An oak

Archosauromorphs edit

General research edit

  • Massospondylus gastroliths are documented.[5]

Newly named dinosaurs edit

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[6]

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Chubutisaurus[7]

gen et sp nov

Valid

del Corro

Albian

Cerro Barcino Formation

  Argentina

 
Chubutisaurus

Homalocephale[8]

gen et sp nov

Valid

Maryańska & Osmólska

late Cretaceous

 
Homalocephale

Labocania[9]

gen et sp nov

Valid

Molnar

Campanian

La Bocana Roja Formation

possible tyrannosauroid

 
Labocania anomala

Prenocephale[8]

gen et sp nov

Valid

Maryańska & Osmólska

late Cretaceous

 
Prenocephale

Stokesosaurus[10]

gen et sp nov

Valid

Madsen

Late Jurassic

Morrison Formation, Utah

 
Stokesosaurus langhami

Tylocephale[8]

gen et sp nov

Valid

Maryańska & Osmólska

late Cretaceous

 
Tylocephale

Newly named birds edit

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Chunga incerta [11]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Eduardo P. Tonni

Late Pliocene

Monte Hermoso Formation

A Cariamidae.

Cryptociconia indica [12]

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Valid

Colin J. O. Harrison

Pliocene

Siwalik Series

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

Dendrocopos praemedius [13]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Dénes Jánossy

Late Pliocene

MN 17

A Picidae.

Francolinus minor [14]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Dénes Jánossy

Late Pleistocene

Villafranchian

A Phasianidae.

Francolinus villanyiensis [14]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Dénes Jánossy

Late Pliocene

MN 16

A Phasianidae.

Francolinus wenzensis [14]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Dénes Jánossy

Early Pliocene

MN 15

A Phasianidae.

Gobipteryx minuta [15]

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Valid

Andrzej Elzanowski

Late Cretaceous

?Campanian,

Barun Goyot Formation

Described in the Palaeognathae, but transferred to the Enantiornithes Walker, 1981, this is the type species of the new genus.

Leptoptilos richae [12]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Colin J. O. Harrison

Late Miocene

Belgia Formation

A Ciconiidae.

Leptoptilos siwalikensis [12]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Colin J. O. Harrison

Pliocene

Siwalik Series

A Ciconiidae.

Neophrontops slaughteri [16]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Alan Feduccia

Late Pliocene

Glenns Ferry Formatie,

Hagerman Local Fauna

An Accipitridae.

Nesotrochis steganinos [17]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Storrs L. Olson

Quaternary

Cave deposits

A flightless Rallidae.

Pachydyptes simpsoni [18]

Sp. nov.

Valid

R. J. F Jenkins

Late Eocene

Blanche Point Marls,

Aldingan Stage

A Spheniscidae.

Tetrao conjugens [14]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Dénes Jánossy

Late Pliocene

?Campanian,

Węże 1

A Phasianidae.

Tetrastes praebonasia [13]

Sp. nov.

Valid

Dénes Jánossy

Early Pleistocene

Tarkö - lagen 11, 12;

Hundsheim;

Montoussé

A Phasianidae, transferred to the genus Bonasa Stephen, 1819 by Zygmunt Bocheński, 1991.[19]

Newly named pterosaurs edit

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Gallodactylus

gen et sp nov

subjective synonym

Fabre

Late Jurassic

subjective synonym of Cycnorhamphus

 
Cycnorhamphus suevicus

Herbstosaurus

gen et sp nov

Valid

Casamiquela

Tithonian

Vaca Muerta Formation

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 Kuc, M. (1974). "Fossil mosses from the bisaccate zone of the mid-Eocene Allenby Formation, British Columbia". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 11 (3): 409–421. doi:10.1139/e74-037.
  3. ^ a b Miller, N. G. (1980). "Fossil mosses of North America and their significance". The Mosses of North America. pp. 9–36.
  4. ^ Manchester, S.R. (1994). "Fruits and Seeds of the Middle Eocene Nut Beds Flora, Clarno Formation, Oregon". Palaeontographica Americana. 58: 30–31.
  5. ^ Raath (1974). Sanders, Manley, and Carpenter (2001), "Table 12.1" page 167.
  6. ^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  7. ^ Corro, G. del. 1974. Un nuevo megalosaurio (Carnosaurio) del Cretacico de Chubut (Argentina). Communicaciones Mus. Argent. Ciencias Nat. "Bernardino Rivadavia" Paleontol. 1:pp. 37-44.
  8. ^ a b c Maryanska, T. and H. Osmólska. 1974. Pachycephalosauria, a new suborder of ornithischian dinosaurs. Paleontol. Polinica 30: pp. 45-102.
  9. ^ Molnar R.E. (1974). "A distinctive theropod dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Baja California (Mexico)". Journal of Paleontology. 48 (5): 1009–1017.
  10. ^ Madsen, J. H., Jr. 1974. A new theropod dinosaur from the Upper Jurassic of Utah. J. Paleontol. 48: pp. 27-31.
  11. ^ Eduardo P. Tonni (1974). "Un Nuevo Cariámido (Aves, Gruiformes) del Plioceno Superior de la Provincia de Buenos Aires". Ameghiniana. 11: 366–372.
  12. ^ a b c Colin J. O. Harrison (1974). "A Re-examination of Material of the Extinct Marabou Stork, Leptoptilos falconeri, with Description of Some New Species" (PDF). Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 94: 42–49. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-18.
  13. ^ a b Dénes Jánossy (1974). "Die Mittelpleistozäne Vogelfauna von Hundsheim (Niederösterreich)" (PDF). Sitzungsberichte der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Mathematisch- Naturwissenschaftliche Klasse, Abteilung I. 182: 211–257.
  14. ^ a b c d Dénes Jánossy (1974). "Upper Pliocene and Lower Pleistocene Bird Remains from Poland". Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia. 19 (21): 531–563.
  15. ^ Andrzej Elzanowski (1974). "Results of the Polish-Mongolian Paleontological Expeditions-Part V: Preliminary Note on the Palaeognathous Bird from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia" (PDF). Paleontologica Polonica. 30: 103–109. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-10-11.
  16. ^ Alan Feduccia (1974). "Another Old World Vulture from the New World" (PDF). Wilson Bulletin. 86 (3): 251–255.
  17. ^ Storrs L. Olson (1974). "A New Species of Nesotrochis from Hispaniola, with Notes on Other Fossil Rails from the West Indies (Aves: Rallidae)" (PDF). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 87 (38): 439–450.
  18. ^ R. J. F. Jenkins (1974). "A New Giant Penguin from the Eocene of Australia" (PDF). Palaeontology. 17 (2): 291–310. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-16. Retrieved 2014-10-11.
  19. ^ Zygmunt Bocheński (1991). "Pliocene Grouse of Genus Lagopus from Poland". Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia. 34 (2): 563–577.
  • Raath, M.A. (1974). Fossil vertebrate studies in Rhodesia: further evidence of gastroliths in Prosauropod dinosaurs. Arnoldia Rhodesia. 7 (5): 1–7.
  • Sanders F, Manley K, Carpenter K. Gastroliths from the Lower Cretaceous sauropod Cedarosaurus weiskopfae. In: Tanke D.H, Carpenter K, editors. Mesozoic vertebrate life: new research inspired by the paleontology of Philip J. Currie. Indiana University Press; Bloomington, IN: 2001. pp. 166–180.