The year 2018 in archosaur paleontology was eventful. Archosaurs include the only living dinosaur group — birds — and the reptile crocodilians, plus all extinct dinosaurs, extinct crocodilian relatives, and pterosaurs. Archosaur palaeontology is the scientific study of those animals, especially as they existed before the Holocene Epoch began about 11,700 years ago. The year 2018 in paleontology included various significant developments regarding archosaurs.
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This article records new taxa of fossil archosaurs of every kind that have been described during the year 2018, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleontology of archosaurs that occurred in the year 2018.
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
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Sp. nov |
Valid |
Salas-Gismondi et al. |
Late Miocene |
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Sp. nov |
Valid |
Ristevski et al. |
A goniopholidid. | |||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Coria et al. |
A peirosaurid crocodyliform. Genus includes new species B. neuquenianus. Announced in 2018; the final version of the article naming it was published in 2019. |
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Sp. nov |
Valid |
Martinelli et al. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Salas-Gismondi et al. |
Early Miocene |
A gryposuchine gavialoid. Genus includes new species D. gunai. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Li, Wu & Rufolo |
A member of Crocodyloidea. Genus includes new species J. nankangensis. Announced in 2018; the final version of the article naming it was published in 2019. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Filippi, Barrios & Garrido |
A peirosaurid crocodyliform. The type species is K. overoi. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Ősi et al. |
Kisgerecse Marl Formation |
A member of Metriorhynchoidea. The type species is M. fitosi. |
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Sp. nov |
Valid |
Barrientos-Lara, Alvarado-Ortega & Fernández |
Sabinal Formation |
|||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Butler et al. |
An early member of Paracrocodylomorpha belonging to the group Loricata. The type species is M. tanyauchen. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Lacerda, de França & Schultz |
Dinodontosaurus Assemblage Zone of the Santa Maria Supersequence |
A member of the family Erpetosuchidae. Genus includes new species P. candelariensis. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Mateus, Puértolas-Pascual & Callapez |
Tentugal Formation |
A member of Eusuchia, possibly the oldest known member of Crocodilia. Genus includes new species P. azenhae. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Bona et al. |
A relative of caimans. Genus includes new species P. peligrensis. |
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Gen. et comb. nov |
Valid |
Piacentini Pinheiro et al. |
Late Cretaceous (late Campanian–early Maastrichtian) |
A crocodyliform belonging to the family Itasuchidae. The type species is "Goniopholis" paulistanus Roxo (1936). |
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Sp. nov |
Valid |
Foster |
A new species of the atoposaurid Theriosuchus and the first known from North America. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Saber et al. |
A member of Mesoeucrocodylia of uncertain phylogenetic placement, possibly a neosuchian. Genus includes new species W. egyptensis. |
Multiple studies were conducted, discoveries made, and taxa discovered related to non-avian dinosaurs, including the Acantholipan[73] in Mexico. Evidence was discovered of cuticle preservation on theropod eggshells from the Nanxiong Group in China and the Two Medicine Formation in Montana, United States is presented by Yang et al. (2018)..[74] A new specimen of Sinovenator changii, including a nearly complete skull and providing new information on the anatomy of the skull of this species, was described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation (China) by Yin, Pei & Zhou (2018).[75]
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aquila claudeguerini[145] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Mourer‑Chauviré & Bonifay |
Early Pleistocene |
A species of Aquila. |
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Ardenna davealleni[146] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Tennyson & Mannering |
A species of Ardenna. |
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Sp. nov |
Valid |
Zelenkov et al. |
Middle Miocene |
A duck. |
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Cinclosoma elachum[148] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Nguyen, Archer & Hand |
A quail-thrush. |
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Ducula tihonireasini[149] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Rigal, Kirch & Worthy |
An imperial pigeon. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Zheng et al. |
An early member of Ornithuromorpha. Genus includes new species E. edentulata. |
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Gen. et comb. nov |
Valid |
Atterholt, Hutchison & O’Connor |
A member of Enantiornithes belonging to the family Avisauridae. The type species is "Avisaurus" gloriae Varricchio & Chiappe (1995). |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Wang, Stidham & Zhou |
A basal member of Pygostylia, probably a relative of Chongmingia. Genus includes new species J. perplexus. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Volkova & Zelenkov |
Early Miocene |
A passerine belonging to the group Certhioidea. Genus includes new species K. scandens. |
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Litorallus[154] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Mather et al. |
Bannockburn Formation |
A rail. The type species is L. livezeyi. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Atterholt, Hutchison & O’Connor |
Late Cretaceous (late Campanian) |
A member of Enantiornithes belonging to the family Avisauridae. The type species is M. eatoni. |
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Gen. et comb. nov |
Valid |
Mayr et al. |
Late Paleocene |
Waipara Greensand |
An early penguin; a new genus for "Waimanu" tuatahi Ando, Jones & Fordyce in Slack et al. (2006). |
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Pandion pannonicus[156] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Kessler |
Late Oligocene |
A species of Pandion. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Li et al. |
Late Miocene |
Liushu Formation |
A member of the family Phasianidae. The type species is P. hezhengensis. |
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Priscaweka[154] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Mather et al. |
Bannockburn Formation |
A rail. The type species is P. parvales. |
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Rallus gracilipes[158] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Takano & Steadman |
Late Pleistocene |
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Romainvillia kazakhstanensis[159] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Zelenkov |
Late Eocene |
Kustovskaya Formation |
A member of Anseriformes belonging to the family Romainvillidae. |
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Scolopax mira ohyamai[160] |
Subsp. nov. |
Valid |
Matsuoka & Hasegawa |
Late Pleistocene |
An extinct subspecies of the Amami woodcock (Scolopax mira). |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Mayr et al. |
Middle Paleocene |
Waipara Greensand |
An early penguin. Genus includes new species S. rosieae. |
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Vanellus liffyae[161] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
De Pietri et al. |
Late Pliocene |
A species of Vanellus. |
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Gen. et comb. nov |
Disputed |
Hansford & Turvey |
An elephant bird. The type species is "Aepyornis" titan Andrews (1894). Announced in 2018; the correction including the required ZooBank accession number was published in 2020.[163] Tentatively synonymised with Aepyornis maximus by Grealy et al. (2023).[164] |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Bocheński et al. |
Menilite Formation |
A passerine of uncertain phylogenetic placement, approximately the size of a great tit. The type species is W. gorskii. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Wang & Zhou |
A member of the family Confuciusornithidae. Genus includes new species Y. confucii. |
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Zygodactylus grandei[167] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Smith, DeBee & Clarke |
Early Eocene |
A member of the family Zygodactylidae. |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Longrich, Martill & Andres |
Late Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) |
A member of the family Nyctosauridae. The type species is A. elainus. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Longrich, Martill & Andres |
Late Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) |
A member of the family Nyctosauridae. The type species is B. grandis. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Britt et al. |
Late Triassic (probably late Norian or Rhaetian) |
A relative of Dimorphodon. Genus includes new species C. hanseni. |
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Sp. nov |
Valid |
Jacobs et al. |
Announced in 2018; the final version of the article naming it was published in 2019. Originally described as a species of Coloborhynchus, but subsequently transferred to the genus Nicorhynchus.[188] |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
O’Sullivan & Martill |
A member of the family Rhamphorhynchidae. The type species is K. rochei. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Vullo et al. |
A member of the family Azhdarchidae. Genus includes new species M. maggii. |
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Gen. et comb. nov |
Valid |
Rigal, Martill & Sweetman |
Early Cretaceous (late Valanginian or early Hauterivian) |
A pterodactyloid pterosaur; a new genus for "Pterodactylus" sagittirostris Owen (1874). Announced in 2017; the final version of the article naming it was published in 2018. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Longrich, Martill & Andres |
Late Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) |
A member of the family Nyctosauridae. The type species is S. robusta. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Longrich, Martill & Andres |
Late Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) |
A pterosaur of uncertain phylogenetic placement, might be a member of the family Pteranodontidae[185] or Azhdarchidae.[192] The type species is T. regalis. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Lü et al. |
A member of the family Anurognathidae. Genus includes new species V. lamadongensis. Announced in 2017; the final version of the article naming it was published in 2018. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Martill et al. |
Cretaceous (Albian or early Cenomanian) |
A member of Azhdarchoidea. The type species is X. curvirostris. Announced in 2017; the final version of the article naming it was published in 2018. |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Sarıgül, Agnolín & Chatterjee |
A member of Dinosauriformes, probably a member of the family Silesauridae. The type species is S. aenigmaticus. |