1961 in paleontology

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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 1961.

Plants[edit]

Angiosperms[edit]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes
Acer beckianum^[2]	Sp nov	Valid	Prakash & Barghoorn	Langhian	Ginkgo Petrified Forest	USA Washington	A maple, described from petrified wood
Acer palaeorufinerve^[3]	sp nov	Valid	Tanai & Onoe	Miocene - Pliocene	Ningyo-toge Formation		A maple, A member of the Macrantha section.
Davisicarpum^[4]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Chandler	Ypresian	London Clay	UK England	A moon seed relative. Type species D. gibbosum

Archosauromorphs[edit]

Phytosaurs[edit]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Rileyasuchus^[5]	Gen et comb nov	Nomen dubium.	Kuhn	Rhaetian		UK England	A dubious phytosaur, possibly a chimera; replacement name for Rileya von Huene 1902 (non Ashmead, 1888).

Pseudosuchians[edit]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Avalonianus^[5]	Gen et comb nov	Nomen dubium	Kuhn	Late Triassic (Rhaetian)		UK England	Dubious non-dinosaurian archosaur; replacement name for Avalonia Seeley, 1898 (non Walcott, 1889).
"Dasygnathoides"^[5]	Gen et comb nov	Nomen dubium?	Kuhn	Late Triassic (Carnian)	Lossiemouth Sandstone	UK Scotland	A pseudosuchian of uncertain affinity.^[6] Replacement name for Dasygnathus Huxley, 1877 (non MacLeay, 1819).

Dinosaurs[edit]

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.^[7]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
"Astrodonius"^[5]	Gen et comb nov	Junior synonym	Kuhn	Early Cretaceous	Arundel Formation	USA Maryland	Junior synonym of Astrodon.	Astrodon johnstoni
Campylodoniscus^[5]	Gen et comb nov	Nomen dubium.	Kuhn	Late Cretaceous	Bajo Barreal Formation	Argentina	A possible titanosaur Replacement name for "Campylodon" von Huen 1929	Campylodoniscus
"Pachysaurops"^[8]	Gen et sp nov	Junior synonym	von Huene	Late Triassic		Germany	Junior synonym of Plateosaurus.	Plateosaurus engelhardti

Birds[edit]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes
Anas pullulans^[9]	Sp nov.	valid	Brodkorb	Early Pliocene	Juntura Formation	USA ( Oregon)	An Anatidae.
Eremochen^[9]	Gen et Sp nov.	valid	Brodkorb	Early Pliocene	Juntura Formation	USA ( Oregon)	An Anatidae, type species E. russelli.
Fulica infelix^[9]	Sp. nov.	valid	Brodkorb	Early Pliocene	Juntura Formation	USA ( Oregon)	A Rallidae.
Ocyplonessa shotwelli^[9]	Sp. nov.	jr synonym	Brodkorb	Late Miocene - Early Pliocene	Juntura Formation	USA ( Oregon)	An Anatidae, moved to Histrionicuslli shotwelli by Olson & Rasmussen, 2001^[10]
Megapaloelodus opsigonus^[9]	Sp. nov.	valid	Brodkorb	Early Pliocene	Juntura Formation	USA ( Oregon)	A Palaelodidae.
Neortyx^[11]	Gen et Sp. nov.	valid	Holman	Early Pliocene	Juntura Formation	USA ( Oregon)	An Odontophoridae Type species N. peninsularis
Phalacrocorax leptopus^[9]	Sp. nov.	valid	Brodkorb	Early Pliocene	Juntura Formation	USA ( Oregon)	A Phalacrocoracidae.
Puffinus mitchelli^[12]	Sp. nov.	valid	Miller	Middle Miocene	Temblor Formation	USA ( California)	A Procellariidae.
Puffinus priscus^[12]	Sp. nov.	valid	Miller	Middle Miocene	Temblor Formation	USA ( California)	A Procellariidae.

References[edit]

^ 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.
^ Prakash, U.; Barghoorn, E. S. (1961). "Miocene fossil woods from the Columbia Basalts of central Washington". Journal of the Arnold Arboretum. 42 (2): 165–203. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.19013. S2CID 127699009.
^ Wolfe, J.A.; Tanai, T. (1987). "Systematics, Phylogeny, and Distribution of Acer (maples) in the Cenozoic of Western North America". Journal of the Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University. Series 4, Geology and Mineralogy. 22 (1): 1–246.
^ Manchester, S.R. (1994). "Fruits and Seeds of the Middle Eocene Nut Beds Flora, Clarno Formation, Oregon". Palaeontographica Americana. 58: 30–31.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Kuhn, O. 1961. Die Familien der rezenten und fossilen Amphibien und Reptilien. Meisenbach, Bamberg: 79 pages.
^ von Baczko, M; Ezcurra, Martin (2016-10-17). "Taxonomy of the archosaur Ornithosuchus: reassessing Ornithosuchus woodwardi Newton, 1894 and Dasygnathoides longidens (Huxley 1877)". Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 106 (3): 199–205. doi:10.1017/S1755691016000104. S2CID 88658892.
^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
^ Huene, F. von. 1961. Palaontologie und Phylogenie der Niederen Tetrapoden. Nachtrage und Erganzungen. Fischer, Jena: 58 pages.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Brodkorb, Pierce (1961). "Birds from the Pliocene of Juntura, Oregon". Quarterly Journal of the Florida Academy of Sciences. 24 (3): 169–184.
^ Olson, Storrs L.; Rasmussen, Pamela C. (2001). "Miocene and Pliocene Birds from the Lee Creek Mine, North Carolina". Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology. 90: 233–365.
^ Holman, J. Alan (1961). "Osteology of Living and Fossil New World Quails". Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences. 6 (2): 131–233.
^ ^a ^b Miller, Loye Holmes (1961). "Birds from the Miocene of Sharktooth Hill, California". Condor. 63 (5): 399–402. doi:10.2307/1365299. JSTOR 1365299.

[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.

[Vantagewoods1961-2] Prakash, U.; Barghoorn, E. S. (1961). "Miocene fossil woods from the Columbia Basalts of central Washington". Journal of the Arnold Arboretum. 42 (2): 165–203. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.19013. S2CID 127699009.

[Wolfe1987-3] Wolfe, J.A.; Tanai, T. (1987). "Systematics, Phylogeny, and Distribution of Acer (maples) in the Cenozoic of Western North America". Journal of the Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University. Series 4, Geology and Mineralogy. 22 (1): 1–246.

[Manchester1994-4] Manchester, S.R. (1994). "Fruits and Seeds of the Middle Eocene Nut Beds Flora, Clarno Formation, Oregon". Palaeontographica Americana. 58: 30–31.

[kuhn61rezenten-5] Kuhn, O. 1961. Die Familien der rezenten und fossilen Amphibien und Reptilien. Meisenbach, Bamberg: 79 pages.

[:0-6] von Baczko, M; Ezcurra, Martin (2016-10-17). "Taxonomy of the archosaur Ornithosuchus: reassessing Ornithosuchus woodwardi Newton, 1894 and Dasygnathoides longidens (Huxley 1877)". Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 106 (3): 199–205. doi:10.1017/S1755691016000104. S2CID 88658892.

[ddinogeorge-7] Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.

[8] Huene, F. von. 1961. Palaontologie und Phylogenie der Niederen Tetrapoden. Nachtrage und Erganzungen. Fischer, Jena: 58 pages.

[Brodkorb1961-9] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Brodkorb, Pierce (1961). "Birds from the Pliocene of Juntura, Oregon". Quarterly Journal of the Florida Academy of Sciences. 24 (3): 169–184.

[OlsonRasmussen2001-10] Olson, Storrs L.; Rasmussen, Pamela C. (2001). "Miocene and Pliocene Birds from the Lee Creek Mine, North Carolina". Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology. 90: 233–365.

[Holman1961-11] Holman, J. Alan (1961). "Osteology of Living and Fossil New World Quails". Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences. 6 (2): 131–233.

[Miller1961-12] Miller, Loye Holmes (1961). "Birds from the Miocene of Sharktooth Hill, California". Condor. 63 (5): 399–402. doi:10.2307/1365299. JSTOR 1365299.

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