1988 in paleontology

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
List of years in paleontology
In science
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991

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.[1] 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 1988.

Plants

Angiosperms

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Stonebergia[2]

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Wolfe & Wehr

Ypresian

Allenby Formation

 Canada

A Rosaceae genus

Arthropods

Insects

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Protopone primigena[3]

Gen et sp nov

valid

Dlussky

Middle Eocene

Sakhalin amber

 Russia

A ponerine ant

Archosauromorphs

Newly named non-avian dinosaurs

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

Name Status Authors Notes Images
Anserimimus[5] Valid taxon
"Cathetosaurus"[6] Junior synonym of Camarasaurus
"Chassternbergia"[7] Junior synonym of Edmontonia
Denversaurus[7] Valid taxon
Giraffatitan Valid taxon, formerly believed to be a Junior synonym of Brachiosaurus
"Hironosaurus" Nomen nudum
"Kagasaurus" 'Nomen nudum
Kotasaurus[8] Valid taxon
Nanotyrannus[9] Possible junior synonym of Tyrannosaurus.
Orodromeus[10] Valid taxon
"Protognathus"[11] Later renamed Protognathosaurus by George Olshevsky
  • Zhang Y. H.
"Stenotholus"[12] Junior synonym of Stygimoloch
  • Giffin
  • Gabriel
  • Johnson

Newly named birds

Name Status Novelty Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Ciconia kahli [13]

Valid

Sp. nov.

Philippa J. Haarhoff

Early Pliocene

Varswater Formation

 South Africa

A Ciconiidae.

Diomedea rumana [14]

Valid

Sp. nov.

Dan Grigorescu

Jenö Kessler

Middle Miocene

MN 8

 Romania

A Diomedeidae.

Gymnogyps kofordi [15]

Valid

Sp. nov.

Steven D. Emslie

Early Pleistocene

Irvingtonian

 USA:

 Florida

A Cathartidae.

Hadrogyps aigialeus [16]

Valid

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Steven D. Emslie

Middle Miocene

Bastovian,

Round Mountain Silt

 USA:

 California

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

Jungornis tesselatus [17]

Valid

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Aleksandr A. Karkhu

Early Oligocene

Maykop Formation

 USSR:

 Russia

An Apodiformes, Jungornithidae Karkhu, 1988, this is the type species of the new genus.

Lithornis celetius [18]

Valid

Sp. nov.

Peter W. Houde

Late Paleocene

Early Tiffanian,

Fort Union Formation

 USA:

 Montana

A Palaeognathae Pycraft, 1900, Lithornithiformes Houde, 1988, Lithornithidae Houde, 1988, this is the type species of the new genus.

Lithornis plebius [18]

Valid

Sp. nov.

Peter W. Houde

Early Eocene

Middle Clarkforkian,

Willwood Formation

 USA:

 Wyoming

A Palaeognathae Pycraft, 1900, Lithornithiformes Houde, 1988, Lithornithidae Houde, 1988, this is the type species of the new genus.

Lithornis promiscuus [18]

Valid

Sp. nov.

Peter W. Houde

Early Eocene

Middle Clarkforkian,

Willwood Formation

 USA:

 Wyoming

A Palaeognathae Pycraft, 1900, Lithornithiformes Houde, 1988, Lithornithidae Houde, 1988, this is the type species of the new genus.

Messelornis cristata [19]

Valid

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Angelika Hesse

Middle Miocene

Messel pit,

MP 11

 Germany:

 Hessen

A Ralliformes, Messelornithidae Hesse, 1988, this is the type species of the new genus.

Morus olsoni [14]

Valid

Sp. nov.

Dan Grigorescu

Jenö Kessler

Middle Miocene

MN 8

 Romania

A Sulidae.

Pachyplichas yaldwyni [20]

Valid

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Philip R. Millener

Late Quaternary

Probably Otiran Glacial Stage

 New Zealand

An Acanthisittidae, this is the type species of the new genus.

Pachyplichas jagmi [20]

Valid

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Philip R. Millener

Late Quaternary

North Island

 New Zealand

An Acanthisittidae.

Pachyplichas yaldwyni [20]

Valid

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Philip R. Millener

Late Quaternary

Probably Otiran Glacial Stage

 New Zealand

An Acanthisittidae, this is the type species of the new genus.

Phocavis maritimus [21]

Valid

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

James L. Goedert

Late Eocene

Keasey Formation

 USA:

 Oregon

A Pelecaniformes, Plotopteridae Howard, 1969, this is the type species of the new genus.

Porphyrio paepae [22]

Valid

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

David W. Steadman

Holocene

Marquesas Islands,

Tahuata and Hiva Oa

 French Polynesia:

 Marquesas Islands

A Rallidae.

Primocolius minor [23]

Valid

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Cécile Mourer-Chauviré

Late Eocene

Phosphorites du Quercy,

MP 16-28

 France

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

Primocolius sigei [23]

Valid

Sp. nov.

Cécile Mourer-Chauviré

Late Eocene

Phosphorites du Quercy,

MP 16-28

 France

A Coliidae.

Pseudocrypturus cercanaxius [18]

Valid

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Peter W. Houde

Early Eocene

Late Wasatchian,

Green River Formation;

London Clay A, MP 8

 USA:

 Wyoming;

 UK:

 England

A Palaeognathae Pycraft, 1900, Lithornithiformes Houde, 1988, Lithornithidae Houde, 1988, this is the type species of the new genus.

Psilopterus colzecus [24]

Valid

Sp. nov.

Eduardo P. Tonni

Claudia P. Tambussi

Late Miocene

Chasicoan,

Arroyo Chasicó Formation

 Argentina

A Gruiformes, Phorusrhacidae Ameghino, 1889, Psilopterinae Dolgopol de Saez, 1927.

Sula tasmani [25]

Valid

Sp. nov.

Gerard F. van Tets

Charles W. Meredith

Peter J. Fullagar

Peter M. Davidson

Holocene

Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island

 Australia:

 New South Wales

A Sulidae, now seen as a subspecies of Sula dactylatra Lesson, 1831, Sula dactylatra fullagari O’Brien et Davies, 1991 is its junior synonym, so tasmani is the correct name.

Sylphornis bretouensis [23]

Valid

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Cécile Mourer-Chauviré

Late Eocene

MP 16

 France

A basal Piciformes, Sylphornithidae Mourer-Chauviré, 1988, this is the type species of the new genus.

Taubacrex granivora [26]

Valid

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Herculano M. F. de Alvarenga

Late Oligocene-Early Miocene

Tremembé Formatie

 Brazil

Described as a Rallidae, but transferred to the Quercymegapodiidae Mourer-Chauviré, 1992 by Mourer-Chauviré in 2000 [27]

Tshulia litorea [28]

Valid

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Lev A. Nessov

Late Paleocene

 USSR:

 Kazakhstan

Aves Incertae Sedis, perhaps a Rallidae, this is the type species of the new genus.

Ventivorus ragei [23]

Valid

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Cécile Mourer-Chauviré

Late Eocene

MP 16

 France

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

Zheroia kurochkini [28]

Valid

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Lev A. Nessov

Late Eocene

Bartonian

 USSR:

 Uzbekistan

A Graculavidae Fürbringer, 1888, A Forma Familia, Charadriiformes Incertae Sedis, this is the type species of the new genus.

Zhylgaia aestiflua [28]

Valid

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Lev A. Nessov

Late Paleocene

Zhylga near Tashkent

 USSR:

 Kazakhstan

A Pelecaniformes, Prophaethontidae Harrison et Walker, 1976, this is the type species of the new genus.

Pterosaurs

New taxa

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Tupuxuara[29]

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Kellner & Campos

Cretaceous

Santana Formation

 Brazil

A Thalassodromidae pterosaur

References

  1. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. – via Taylor & Francis (subscription required)
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. Barsbold, R. 1988. A new late Cretaceous ornithomimid of Mongolia [in Russian]. Paleontol. J. 1: pp. 122-125.
  6. Jensen, J.A. 1988. A fourth new sauropod dinosaur from the Upper Jurassic of the Colorado Plateau and sauropod bipedalism. Great Basin Nat. 48 (2), pp. 121-145.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Bakker, R. T. 1988. Review of the late Cretaceous Nodosaurid Dinosauria, Denversaurus schlessmani, a new armor-plated dinosaur from the Latest Cretaceous of South Dakota, the Last Survivor of the Nodosaurians, with comments on Stegosaur-Nodosaur Relationships. Hunteria 1 (3), pp. 3-23.
  8. Yadagiri, P. 1988. A new sauropod Kotasaurus yamanpalliensis from Lower Jurassic Kota Formation of India. Records of the Geological Survey of India 116 (3-8): pp. 102-127.
  9. Bakker, R.T., M. Williams, and P. Currie. 1988. Nanotyrannus, a new genus of pygmy tyrannosaur, from the latest Cretaceous of Montana. Hunteria 1: pp. 1-30.
  10. Horner, J.R. and D.B. Weishampel. 1988. A comparative embryological study of two ornithischian dinosaurs. Nature 332: pp. 256- 257.
  11. Olshevsky, G. 1991. A Revision of the Parainfraclass Archosauria Cope, 1869, Excluding the Advanced Crocodylia. Mesozoic Meanderings 2 (1st printing): iv + 196 pages.
  12. Giffin, E. B., D.L. Gabriel, and R.E. Johnson. 1987. A new pachycephalosaurid skull (Ornithischia) from the Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation of Montana. J. Vert. Palaeontol. 7 (4); pp. 398-407.
  13. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. 14.0 14.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. Kellner, A.W.A., and Campos, D.A. (1988). "Sobre un novo pterossauro com crista sagital da Bacia do Araripe, Cretaceo Inferior do Nordeste do Brasil. (Pterosauria, Tupuxuara, Cretaceo, Brasil)." Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, 60: 459–469. [in Portuguese]