1955 in paleontology

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List of years in paleontology (table)
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1953
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1958
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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 1955.

Plants[edit]

Pteridophyta[edit]

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Azolla primaeva[2]

Comb nov

Valid

(Penhallow) Arnold

Ypresian

Allenby Formation

 Canada

A waterfern, moved from Azollophyllum primaevum Penhallow, 1890

Azolla primaeva


Arthropods[edit]

Crustaceans[edit]

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Eryon yehoachi[3]

Sp nov

Jr. synonym

Remy and Avnimelech

Late Cretaceous (Campanian)

Mishash Formation

 Israel

Moved to Ursquilla in 1998.[4]

Dinosaurs[edit]

  • Massospondylus gastroliths are documented.[5]

Newly named dinosaurs[edit]

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

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Majungasaurus[7] Valid taxon René Lavocat Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Maevarano Formation  Madagascar A majungasaurine abelisaurid.
Majungasaurus
Tarbosaurus[8] Valid taxon Evgeny Maleev Late Cretaceous (late Campanian-early Maastrichtian) Nemegt Formation

Subashi Formation

 Mongolia  China An Asian Tyrannosaurus-looking tyrannosaurid.
Tarbosaurus

Synapsids[edit]

Theriodonts[edit]

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Sauroctonus Valid Bystrow Late Permian Semen Formation
Teekloof Formation
 Russia A gorgonopsian.
Sauroctonus
Scalenodon Valid Crompton and Parrington Middle Triassic Manda Formation  Tanzania A traversodontid cynodont.

Mammals[edit]

Eutherians[edit]

Cetaceans[edit]
Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Lophocetus pappus Now renamed Miminiacetus. Kellogg Middle Miocene (Langhian)
Pelodelphis Valid Kellogg Middle Miocene (Langhian) Calvert Formation *  US ( Maryland) An odontocete of uncertain position.
Tretosphys Valid Kellogg Middle Miocene (Langhian) Calvert Formation  Czech Republic  US ( Maryland,  New Jersey,  North Carolina and  Virginia) An odontocete of uncertain position; new genus for "Delphinapterus" gabbi Cope (1868).

Other Animals[edit]

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Dickinsonia spriggi[9] Synonym of Dickinsonia costata Harrington & Moore Ediacaran  Australia

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. ^ Arnold, C.A. (1955). "A Tertiary Azolla from British Columbia" (PDF). Contributions from the Museum of. Paleontology, University of Michigan. 12 (4): 37–45.
  3. ^ Remy, Jean Marcel; Avnimelech, M. (1955-01-01). "Eryon yehoachi nov. sp. et Cenomanocarcinus cf. vanstraeleni Stenzel, crustaces decapodes du Cretace superieur de l'etat d'Israel". Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France. S6-V (4–6): 311–314. doi:10.2113/gssgfbull.S6-V.4-6.311. ISSN 1777-5817.
  4. ^ Hof, Cees H.J. (1998). "Late Cretaceous stomatopods (Crustacea, Malacostraca) from Israel and Jordan". Contributions to Zoology. 67 (4): 257–266. doi:10.1163/18759866-06704003. ISSN 1383-4517.
  5. ^ Bond (1955). 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. ^ Lavocat, R. 1955. Sur une portion de mandibule de thérepode provenant de Crétace supérieur de Madagascar. Bull. Musee Natl. d’Histoire Nat. (ser. 2) 27: pp. 256-259.
  8. ^ Maleev, E. A. (1955). "Гигантских плотоядных динозавров Монголии" [Gigantic carnivorous dinosaurs of Mongolia]. Doklady Akademii Nauk SSSR. 104: 634–637.
  9. ^ Harrington, N.J.; Moore, R.C. (1955). "Kansas Pennsylvanian and other jellyfishes". Bull. Kansas Geol. Surv. 114 (5): 153–163.
  • Bond, G. 1955. A note on dinosaur remains from the Forest Sandstone (Upper Karoo). Occasional Papers of the National Museum of Rhodesia 2: 795–800.
  • 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.