2001 in paleontology

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Paleontology, palaeontology or palæontology (from Greek: paleo, "ancient"; ontos, "being"; and logos, "knowledge") is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because mankind has 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 2001.

Plants

Pteridophyta

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Wessiea	gen et sp nov	Valid	Pigg & Rothwell	Langhian (Middle Miocene)	"Ho ho" site, Grande Ronde Basalt.	USA	A fern, type sp W. yakimaensis

Conifers

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Metasequoia foxii	sp nov	Valid	Stockey, Rothwell, & Falder	late Tiffanian	Munce's Hill and Gao mine sites, Paskapoo Formation	Canada

Angiosperms

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Trochodendron nastae	sp nov	Valid	Pigg, Wehr, & Ickert-Bond	Ypresian	Tom Thumb Tuff, Klondike Mountain Formation	USA		Trochodendron nastae

Arthropods

Newly named insects

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Electromyrmococcus	Valid	Williams	Burdigalian (Miocene)	Dominican amber	Dominican Republic
Tainosia	Valid	Szwedo Stroiński	Burdigalian (Miocene)	Dominican amber	Dominican Republic

Fishes

Newly named bony fishes

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Achoania	Valid	Zhu Yu Ahlberg	Early Devonian	Xitun Formation	China	The type species is Achoania jarvikii.
Westollrhynchus	Valid	Schultze	Early Devonian	Bear Rock Formation	Canada	A new genus for "Speonesydrion" lehmanni.

Amphibians

Newly named amphibians

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Mesophryne	Valid	Gao Shubin	Late Jurassic	Yixian Formation	China	The type species is Mesophryne beipiaoensis.
Nezpercius	Valid	Blob Carrano Rogers Forster Espinoza	Upper Cretaceous	Judith River Formation	USA	The type species is Nezpercius dodsoni.
Sinerpeton	Valid	Gao Shubin	Late Jurassic	Zhangjiakou Formation	China	The type species is Sinerpeton fengshanensis.

Ichthyosaurs

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Metashastasaurus	Synonymy	Nichollis Manabe	Late Triassic	Pardonet Formation	Canada	A new genus for "Shastasaurus" neoscapularis. A junior synonymy of Callawayia Maisch & Matzke, 2000.

Turtles

Newly named turtles

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Caribemys	Valid	de la Fuente Iturralde-Vinent	Upper Jurassic	Jagua Formation	Cuba	The type species is Caribemys oxfordiensis.
Cearachelys	Valid	Gaffney Campos Hirayama	Early Cretaceous	Santana Formation	Brazil	The type species is Cearachelys placidoi.
Kurmademys	Valid	Gaffney Chatterjee Rudra	Late Cretaceous	Kallamedu Formation	India	The type species is Kurmademys kallamedensis.

Lepidosauromorphs

Newly named basal lepidosauromorphs

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Hypuronector	Valid	Colbert Olsen	Late Triassic	Lockatong Formation	USA	The type species is Hypuronector limnaios.

Newly named plesiosaurs

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Hauffiosaurus	Valid	O'Keefe	Lower Jurassic	Posidonia Shale Formation	Germany	The type species is Hauffiosaurus zanoni.	Hauffiosaurus

Newly named sphenodonts

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Godavarisaurus	Valid	Evans Prasad Manhas	Early Jurassic	Kota Formation	India	The type species is Godavarisaurus latefi.
Rebbanasaurus	Valid	Evans Prasad Manhas	Early Jurassic	Kota Formation	India	The type species is Rebbanasaurus jani.

Archosauromorphs

Newly named basal archosauromorphs

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Yonghesuchus	Valid	Wu Liu Li	Upper Triassic	Tongchuan Formation	China	The type species is Yonghesuchus sangbiensis.

Newly named crurotarsans

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Pabwehshi	Valid	Wilson Malkani Gingerich	Upper Cretaceous	Pab Formation	Pakistan	The type species is Pabwehshi pakistanensis.
Rugosuchus	Valid	Wu Wu Russell	Lower Cretaceous	?Nenjiang Formation	China	The type species is Rugosuchus nonganensis.
Stratiotosuchus	Valid	Campos Suarez Riff Kellner	Upper Cretaceous	Adamantina Formation	Brazil	The type species is Stratiotosuchus maxhechti.

Newly named dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Aletopelta	Valid taxon	Ford James Kirkland		Point Loma Formation	USA	A 20-foot-long (6.1 m) ankylosaurid. Apparently, before being fossilized, the animal's bloated carcass had floated out to sea and formed a miniature reef environment after it sunk to the bottom.	Aletopelta Citipati Gobisaurus Hesperosaurus Khaan Masiakasaurus had a unique jaw configuration with projecting teeth. Nothronychus File:SyntarsusDB.jpg Megapnosaurus Paralititan Rapetosaurus
Bienosaurus	Valid taxon	Dong Zhiming		Lower Lufeng Formation	China	A primitive scelidosaurid known from scant remains.
Cedarpelta	Valid taxon	Kenneth Carpenter James Kirkland et al.		Cedar Mountain Formation	USA	The most basal known ankylosaurid.
Citipati	Valid taxon	James M. Clark Mark Norell Rinchen Barsbold		Djadokhta Formation	Mongolia	A relatively large oviraptorid known to brood its nests.
Draconyx	Valid taxon	Octávio Mateus Antunes		Lourinhã Formation	Portugal	A relative of Camptosaurus.
Eotyrannus	Valid taxon	Hutt Naish et al.		Wessex Formation	UK	A twenty-foot tyrannosauroid.
Eshanosaurus	Valid taxon	Xu Xing Zhao Xijin James M. Clark		Lower Lufeng Formation	China	A therizinosaur, possibly the earliest known coelurosaur.
Gobisaurus	Valid taxon	Matthew K. Vickaryous Anthony P. Russell et al.		Ulansuhai Formation	China	An ankylosaurid that resembled Shamosaurus.
"Hanwulosaurus"	Nomen nudum	Anonymous			China	A thirty-foot ankylosaur.
"Heilongjiangosaurus"	Nomen nudum	Li W. Jin J.			China	A hadrosaur, possibly synonymous with Charonosaurus.
Hesperosaurus	Valid taxon	Kenneth Carpenter Miles Cloward		Morrison Formation	USA	A stegosaurid slightly older and more primitive than Stegosaurus, although the genera may be synonymous.
Jiangshanosaurus	Valid taxon	Tang F. Kang et al.			China	A titanosaur known only from a partial skeleton found near Lixian Village, China.
Jinzhousaurus	Valid taxon	Wang X. Xu Xing		Yixian Formation	China	A hadrosauroid known from a nearly complete skeleton.
Khaan	Valid taxon	James M. Clark Mark Norell Rinchen Barsbold		Djadochta Formation	Mongolia	A fairly typical oviraptorid once misidentified as Ingenia.
"Kittysaurus"	Junior synonym of Eotyrannus	Hargreaves		Wessex Formation	UK
Liaoningosaurus	Valid taxon	Xu Xing Wang X. You		Yixian Formation	China	A bizarre ankylosaur of uncertain classification. Known from the complete specimen of a juvenile 34 cm long, it's the smallest known ankylosaur to date.
Losillasaurus	Valid taxon	Maria Lourdes Casanovas-Cladellas Santafe Sanz		Villar del Arzobispo Formation	Spain	A large turiasaur known from a partial subadult skeleton.
Masiakasaurus	Valid taxon	Sampson Carrano Forster	Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)	Maevarano Formation	Madagascar	A 2-meter (about 6–7 feet) noasaurid with unusual forward-pointing teeth.
Megapnosaurus	Valid taxon	Ivie Slipinski Wegrzynowicz			South Africa Zimbabwe	Replacement name for Syntarsus Raath, 1969 non Fairmaire, 1869; a coelophysid theropod.
Neimongosaurus	Valid taxon	Zhang X. H. Xu Xing et al.		Iren Dabasu Formation	China	A therizinosaur about 2.3 meters in length.
Nothronychus	Valid taxon	James Kirkland Wolfe	Late Cretaceous (Turonian)	Moreno Hill Formation	USA	A therizinosaur.
Paralititan	Valid taxon	J. B. Smith Lamanna et al.		Bahariya Formation	Egypt	A titanosaur and of the most massive dinosaurs ever discovered, with an estimated weight of 59 tonnes (65 short tons) and length of around 26 meters (85 ft).
Planicoxa	Valid taxon	DiCroce Kenneth Carpenter		Cedar Mountain Formation	USA	An advanced iguanodontian.
Pukyongosaurus	Valid taxon	Dong Zhiming Paik Kim H. J.		Hasandong Formation	South Korea	A titanosauriform related to Euhelopus.
Quilmesaurus	Valid taxon	Rodolfo Coria		Allen Formation	Argentina	A 5–6 meter (16–20 feet) theropod known from a partial leg.
Rapetosaurus	Valid taxon	Kristina Curry-Rogers Catherine A. Forster	Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)	Maevarano Formation	Madagascar	A 15 metres (49 ft) titanosaur.
Ruehleia	Valid taxon	Peter Galton.		Knollenmergel	Germany	A prosauropod named for Hugo Ruehle von Lilienstern.
Wellnhoferia	Valid non-dinosaurian taxon.	Andrzej Elżanowski		Solnhofen Limestone	Germany	Very similar to Archaeopteryx, which may be its senior synonym.
Venenosaurus	Valid taxon	Tidwell Kenneth Carpenter S. Meyer	Early Cretaceous (early Aptian)	Cedar Mountain Formation (Poison Strip Member)	USA	A relatively small (probably around 10 m (33 ft) long) titanosauriform sauropod, known from an incomplete skeleton of an adult and a juvenile. Its tail vertebrae articulated in a unique fashion that may be of evolutionary significance.
"Yibinosaurus"	Nomen nudum	Ouyang vide: Anonymous			China	A undescribed sauropod.
Yunxianosaurus	Valid taxon	Li	Late Cretaceous		China	A titanosaur sauropod.

Newly named birds

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Aegypius prepyrenaicus	Sp. nov.	Valid ?	Hernández Carrasquilla	Late Pleistocene	Cave depositions	Spain: Aragon	According to Sanchez Marco (2007) it is a Nomen Dubium.
Apsaravis ukhaana	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Valid	Mark A. Norell Julia A. Clarke	Late Cretaceous	Djadokhta Formation	Mongolia	The type species of the new genus.
Belgirallus minutus	Sp. nov.	Valid	Gerald Mayr Richard Smith	Early Oligocene	MP 21	Belgium: Flemish Brabant	A Rallidae.
Belgirallus oligocaenus	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Valid	Gerald Mayr Richard Smith	Early Oligocene	MP 21	Belgium: Flemish Brabant	A Rallidae, the type species of the new genus.
Boutersemia belgica	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Valid	Gerald Mayr Richard Smith	Early Oligocene	MP 21	Belgium: Flemish Brabant	A Glareolidae, the type species of the new genus.
Boutersemia parvula	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Valid	Gerald Mayr Richard Smith	Early Oligocene	MP 21	Belgium: Flemish Brabant	A Glareolidae.
Calonectris krantzi	Sp. nov.	Valid	Storrs L. Olson Pamela C. Rasmussen	Early Pliocene	Yorktown Formation	USA: North Carolina	A Procellariidae.
Collocalia buday	Sp. nov.	Valid	Walter E. Boles	Early Miocene	Riversleigh	Australia: Queensland	An Apodidae.
Ducula lakeba	Sp. nov.	Valid	Trevor H. Worthy	Quaternary	Lakeba Island	Fiji	A Columbidae.
Emuarius guljaruba	Sp. nov.	Valid	Walter E. Boles	Late Oligocene	Etadunna Formation	Australia: South Australia	A Dromaiidae.
Eocolius walkeri	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Valid	Gareth J. Dyke David M. Waterhouse	Early Eocene	MP 8	UK: England	A stem Coliiformes.
Eocrex tagusevae	Sp. nov.	Valid	Andrei V. Panteleyev	Paleogene (Late Eocene-?Early Oligocene)		Tajikistan	A Rallidae.
Falco kurochkini	Sp. nov.	Valid	William Suárez Duque Storrs L. Olson	Quaternary	Cave deposits	Cuba	A Falconidae.
Fluvioviridavis platyrhamphus	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Valid	Gerald Mayr Michael Daniels	Early Eocene	Green River Formation	USA: Wyoming	A Podargiformes, Fluvioviridavidae G. Mayr, 2005, the type species of the new genus.
Gavia fortis	Sp. nov.	Valid	Storrs L. Olson Pamela C. Rasmussen	Early Pliocene	Yorktown Formation	USA: North Carolina	A Gaviidae.
Laputavis robusta	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Valid	Gareth J. Dyke	Early Eocene	Ypresian, London Clay Formation, MP 8	UK: England	A stem Apodiformes, the genus was originally named Laputa but that name was preoccupied, the type species of the new genus.
Limenavis patagonica	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Valid	Julia A. Clarke Luis M. Chiappe	Late Cretaceous	Allen Formation	Argentina	An Avialae Gauthier, 1985. The type species of the new genus.
Natunaornis gigoura	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Valid	Trevor H. Worthy	Holocene	Viti Levu	Fiji	A flightless Columbidae.
Phoebastria rexsularum	Sp. nov.	Valid	Storrs L. Olson Pamela C. Rasmussen	Early Pliocene	Yorktown Formation	USA: North Carolina	A Diomedeidae.
Pica mourerae	Sp. nov.	Valid	Bartomeu Seguí	Plio-Pleistocene	Majorca, Balearic Islands	Spain: Majorca	A Corvidae.
Podiceps howardae	Sp. nov.	Valid	Robert W. Storer	Early Pliocene	Yorktown Formation	USA: North Carolina	A Podicipedidae, possibly a synonym of Podiceps auritus.
Pseudoseisura cursor	Sp. nov.	Valid	Eduardo P. Tonni Jorge Noriega	Early Pleistocene	Ensenadan	Argentina	A Furnariidae.
Pterodromoides minoricensis	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Valid	Bartomeu Seguí Josep Quintana Joan J. Fornos Josep A. Alcover	Late Miocene-Pliocene Early Pliocene	Minorca; Yorktown Formation, North America	Spain: Minorca; USA: North Carolina	A Procellariidae.
Rallus recessus	Sp. nov.	Valid	Storrs L. Olson David B. Wingate	Late Pleistocene	Bermuda	Bermuda	A flightless Rallidae.
Wellnhoferia grandis	Gen. nov et Sp. nov.	Valid ?	Andrei Elzanowski	Late Jura	Portlandian Solnhofer Plattenkalk	Germany: Bavaria	A new name for Archaeopteryx lithographica von Meyer, 1861, specimen No 6, the "Solnhofer specimen".
Yanornis martini	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Valid	Zhou Zhonghe Fucheng Zhang	Early Createcous	Jiufotang Formation	China	An Ornithuromorphae Chiappe, Ji, Ji et Norell, 1999, Yanornithiformes Zhou et Zhang, 2001, Yanornithidae Zhou et Zhang, 2001. The type species of the new genus.
Yixianornis grabaui	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Valid	Zhou Zhonghe Zhang Fucheng	Early Cretaceous	Jiufotang Formation	China	An Ornithuromorphae Chiappe, Ji, Ji et Norell, 1999, Yixianornithiformes Zhou et Zhang, 2006, Yixianornithidae Zhou et Zhang, 2006. The type species of the new genus.

Newly named pterosaurs

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Haopterus	Valid	Wang Lü	Early Cretaceou	Yixian Formation	China	The type species is Haopterus gracilis.
Istiodactylus	Valid	Howse Milner Martill	Early Cretaceous	Vectis Formation	United Kingdom	A new genus for Ornithodesmus latidens.

Synapsids

Non-mammalian

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Delectosaurus	Valid	Kurkin	Late Permian	Vyazniki Assemblage	Russia	A dicynodont. Two species are described Delectosaurus arefjevi and D. berezhanensis.	Lumkuia
Interpresosaurus	Valid	Kurkin	Late Permian	Vyazniki Assemblage	Russia	A dicynodont. The type species is Interpresosaurus blomi.
Lumkuia	Valid	Hopson Kitching	Middle Triassic	Burgersdorp Formation	South Africa	A cynodont. The type species is Lumkuia fuzzi.
Malasaurus	Valid	Tatarinov	Late Triassic	Vyazniki Assemblage	Russia	A therocephalian. The type species is Malasaurus germanus.
Mitredon	Valid	Shapiro Jenkins	Late Triassic	Fleming Fjord Formation	Greenland	A cynodont. The type species is Mitredon cromptoni.
Prozostrodon	Valid	Bonaparte Barberena	Late Triassic	Santa Maria Formation	Brazil	New genus for "Thrinaxodon" brasiliensis Barberena, Bonaparte & Sá Teixeira, 1987
Riograndia	Valid	Bonaparte Ferigolo Ribeiro	Late Triassic	Caturrita Formation	Brazil	A cynodont. The type species is Riograndia guaibensis.

Mammalian

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Abdounodus	Valid	Gheerbrant Sudre	early Eocene	Ouled Abdoun Basin	Morocco	A Mioclaneid condylarth assigned to Bulbulodentata. The type species is Abdounodus hamdii.	Ocepeia
Ocepeia	Valid	Gheerbrant Sudre	early Eocene	Ouled Abdoun Basin	Morocco	A condylarth assigned to Phenacodonta, later assigned to stem-Paenungulata. The type species is Ocepeia daouiensis.

Footnotes

Complete author list

As science becomes more collaborative, papers with large numbers of authors are becoming more common. To prevent the deformation of the tables, these footnotes list the contributors to papers that erect new genera and have many authors.