1978 in paleontology

none 1978 paleontology science 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. Newman Garfield Echoes from the past: world history to the 16th century 2001 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd Toronto 978-0-07-088739-8 etal This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised faeces (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 in the year 1978. Expeditions, field work, and fossil discoveries A paleoanthropological team led by Mary Leakey found 3.5 million year old human footprints. Baby hadrosaurs were discovered in the Two Medicine Formation. Cnidarians Maurits Lindström, described the earliest known octocoral in Sweden shifting the first known appearance from the Cretaceous to the Ordovician.Bergström Stig M. Bergström Jan Kumpulainen Risto Ormö Jens Sturkell Erik 2007 Maurits Lindström – A renaissance geoscientist GFF 129 2 65–70 10.1080/11035890701292065 2007GFF...129...65B 140593975 Arthropods Newly named crustaceans Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes ImagesAenigmacarisSchram Frederick R. Horner John 1978 Crustacea of the Mississippian Bear Gulch Limestone of Central Montana https://www.jstor.org/stable/1303712 Journal of Paleontology 52 2 394–406 1303712 0022-3360Gen et sp novValidSchram & HornerSerpukhovianBear Gulch LimestoneUnited StatesMontanaAn aeschronectid, type species is A. cornigerumthumb|center|upright|AenigmacarisBairdops beargulchensisSp novValidSchram & HornerSerpukhovianBear Gulch LimestoneUnited StatesMontanaAn early mantis shrimpDithyrocaris rolfeiSp novValidSchram & HornerSerpukhovianBear Gulch LimestoneUnited StatesMontanaA phyllocaridPerimecturus rapaxSp novValidSchram & HornerSerpukhovianBear Gulch LimestoneUnited StatesMontanaAn early mantis shrimpthumb|center|upright|Perimecturus rapaxSairocaris centurionSp novValidSchram & HornerSerpukhovianBear Gulch LimestoneUnited StatesMontanaA sairocaridid Fish Newly named Ray-finned fish Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes ImagesEohiodon woodruffiWilson M. 1978 Eohiodon woodruffi n. sp.(Teleostei, Hiodontidae), from the Middle Eocene Klondike Mountain Formation near Republic, Washington. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 15 5 679–686 10.1139/e78-075 1978CaJES..15..679W Sp novjr synonymWilsonYpresianKlondike Mountain FormationUnited StatesWashingtonA mooneye, Moved to Hiodon woodruffi in 2008Hilton E. J. Grande L. 2008 Fossil Mooneyes (Teleostei: Hiodontiformes, Hiodontidae) from the Eocene of western North America, with a reassessment of their taxonomy Geological Society, London, Special Publications 295 1 221–251 10.1144/sp295.13 2008GSLSP.295..221H 128680041 thumb|center|upright|Hiodon woodruffi Dinosaurs Newly named dinosaurs Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list. Olshevsky George Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List http://www.polychora.com/dinolist.html 2008-08-07 2011-07-15 https://web.archive.org/web/20110715102453/http://www.polychora.com/dinolist.html dead Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images"Amtosaurus"Kurzanov, S.M. and T.A. Tumanova. 1978. On the structure of the endocranium in some anylosaurs from Mongolia [in Russian]. Paleontol. Zh. 1978: pp. 90-96.Gen novNomen dubium. Kurzanov Tumanova"Coloradia"Bonaparte, J.F. 1978. Coloradia brevis n. gen. et. n. sp. (Saurischia, Prosauropoda), dinosaurio Plateosauridae de la Formacion Los Colorados Triasico superior de La Rioja, Argentina. Ameghiniana 15: pp. 327-332.Gen et sp novjr homonym Bonaparte Preoccupied by Blake 1863. Renamed Coloradisaurus.LesothosaurusGalton P.M. 1978 Fabrosauridae, the basal family of ornithischian dinosaurs (Reptilia: Ornithopoda) Paläontologische Zeitschrift 52 1–2 138–159 10.1007/BF03006735 1978PalZ...52..138G 84613826 Gen et sp novValid GaltonEarly Jurassic LesothoPossible junior synonym of Fabrosaurus.thumb|center|upright|LesothosaurusMicropachycephalosaurusDong, Z. 1978. A new genus of Pachycephalosauria from Laiyang, Shantung. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 16: pp. 225-228.Gen novValid Dong ChinaA pachycephalosaur.thumb|center|upright|Micropachycephalosaurus OhmdenosaurusWild, R. 1978. Ein Sauropoden-Rest (Reptilia, Saurischia) aus dem Posidonienschiefer (Lias, Toarcium) von Holzmaden. Stuttgarter Beitrage zur Naturkunde, Serie B (Geologie und Paleontologie) 41: pp. 1-15.Valid Wild Germany"Roccosaurus"van Heerden vide Anderson, J. M., and A.R.I. Cruickshank. 1978. The biostratigraphy of the Permian and the Triassic. Part 5. A review of the classification and distribution of Permo-Triassic tetrapods. Palaeontographica Africana 21: pp. 15-44. Nomen nudum. van Heerden vide: Anderson & CruickshankJunior synonym of Melanorosaurus.SaurornitholestesSues, H -D. 1978. A new small theropod dinosaur from the Judith River Formation (Campanian) of Alberta, Canada. Zool. J. Linn. Soc. London 62: pp. 381-400.Gen et sp novValid SuesCampanian Judith River FormationCanada(AlbertaA North Polar Dromaeosaur.thumb|center|upright|Saurornitholestes YangchuanosaurusDong, Z., Y. Chang, X. Li, and S. Zhou. 1978. Note on a new carnosaur (Yangchuanosaurus shangyouensis gen. et sp. nov.) from the Jurassic of Yangchuan District, Szechuan Province. Kexue Tongbao 23: pp. 298-302.Gen et sp novValid Zhiming, Chang, Li, & ZhouChinaA carnosaurthumb|center|upright|Yangchuanosaurus General research Peter M. Galton published a paper on Fabrosauridae, including redescribing Fabrosaurus, Echinodon and Nanosaurus along with naming Lesothosaurus. Birds Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes ImagesAldabranas cabri Colin J. O. Harrison & Cyril A. Walker 1978 Pleistocene Bird Remains from Aldabra Atoll Indian Ocean Journal of Natural History 12 1 7–14 10.1080/00222937800770021a 1978JNatH..12....7H Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.ValidColin J. O. Harrison Cyril A. WalkerLate PleistoceneAldabra Atoll SeychellesAn Anatidae, this is the type species of the new genus.Anser eldaricus Nikolaj I. Burchak-Abramovich & D. V. Gadzyev 1978 Anser eldaricus sp. nova from Upper Sarmatian Hipparion Fauna of Eldar Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia 23 67–78 Sp. nov.ValidNikolaj I. Burchak-Abramovich D. V. GadzyevPlioceneLate Sarmantian USSR (Now Azerbaijan)An Anatidae.Apus baranensis Dénes Jánossy 1978 Plio-Pleistocene Bird Remains from the Carpathian Basin. III. Strigiformes, Falconiformes, Caprimulgiformes, Apodiformes https://archive.org/details/aquila8486197779magy Aquila 84 9–36 Sp. nov.ValidDénes JánossyLate PlioceneMN 16a; MN 17 Hungary BulgariaAn Apodidae.Chaetura baconica Sp. nov.ValidDénes JánossyLate MioceneMN 11-12 HungaryAn Apodidae."Gallus" europaeus Colin J. O. Harrison 1978 A New Jungle-Fowl from the Pleistocene of Europe Journal of Archaeological Science 290 4 1–26 10.1016/0305-4403(78)90056-0 1978JArSc...5..373H Sp. nov.Valid ?Colin J. O. HarrisonMiddle PleistoceneMQ 2A UKA Phasianidae. The taxonomic status of this species should be reevaluated. There is no evidence, that it belongs to the genus Gallus Brisson.Gavia brodkorbi Hildegarde Howard 1978 Late Miocene Marine Birds from Orange County, California http://www.nhm.org/site/sites/default/files/pdf/contrib_science/CS290.pdf Museum of Natural History of Los Angeles County, Contributions in Science 290 1–26 2014-09-11 2014-09-12 https://web.archive.org/web/20140912005913/http://www.nhm.org/site/sites/default/files/pdf/contrib_science/CS290.pdf dead Sp. nov.ValidHildegarde HowardLate MioceneMonterey Formation USA (California)A Gaviidae.Mergus miscellus Rafael Alvarez Storrs L. Olson 1978 A New Merganser from the Miocene of Virginia (Aves: Anatidae) https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/45680 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 91 2 522–532 Sp. nov.ValidRafael Alvarez Storrs L. OlsonLate MioceneCalvert Formation USA(Virginia and Maryland)An Anatidae."Milvus" brachypterus Sp. nov.ValidDénes JánossyEarly PleistoceneMQ 1b HungaryAn Apodidae Incertae Sedis.Morus magnus Sp. nov.ValidHildegarde HowardLate MioceneMonterey Formation USA (California)A Sulidae.Phalacrocorax anatolicus Cécile Mourer-Chauviré 1978 Oiseaux. Pg. 52-54 In: Jean Claude Paicheler, France de Broin, Jean Gaudant, Cécile Mourer-Chauviré, Jean Claude Rage & Colette Vergnoud-Crazzini, 1978: Le Basin Lacustre Miocène de Bes-Konak (Anatolie-Turquie): Gélogie et Introduction à la Paléontologie des Vertébrés Géobios 11 1 43–65 10.1016/S0016-6995(78)80018-7Sp. nov.ValidCécile Mourer-ChauviréMiddle MioceneHelvetian TurkeyA Phalacrocoracidae, transferred to the genus Nectornis Cheneval, 1984 by Mlíkovský, 1998.Jirí Mlíkovský 1978 Early Miocene Birds of Břešt'any, Czech Republic http://www.nm.cz/download/pm/zoo/mlikovsky_lit/132-1998-MioceneofBrestany.pdf Casopis Narodniho Muzea, Rada Prirodovedna 167 99–101 2014-09-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20140912004110/http://www.nm.cz/download/pm/zoo/mlikovsky_lit/132-1998-MioceneofBrestany.pdf 2014-09-12 dead Pterodroma kurodai Sp. nov.ValidColin J. O. Harrison Cyril A. WalkerPleistoceneAldabra Atoll SeychellesA Procellariidae.Puffinus barnesi Sp. nov.ValidHildegarde HowardLate MioceneMonterey Formation USA (California)A Procellariidae.Recurvirostra sanctaneboulae Cécile Mourer-Chauviré 1978 La Poche à Phosphate de Ste. Neboule (Lot) et sa Faune de Vertébrès du Ludien Supérieur. 6. Oiseaux Palaeovertebrata 8 217–229 Sp. nov.ValidCécile Mourer-ChauviréLate EoceneMP 18 FranceA Recurvirostridae, most unlikely it is a Recurvirostra or even a Recurvirostridae.Surnia robusta Sp. nov.ValidDénes JánossyLate Pliocene; Early PleistoceneMN 16, MN 18; MQ 1b HungaryA Strigidae. Pterosaurs Name Status AuthorsLocation Notes Geosternbergia Valid Miller USA (South Dakota)thumb|Geosternbergia Peteinosaurus Valid Wild Italy Campylognathoides IndicusJain S. L. Jurassic pterosaur from India Geological Society of India 1974 15 3 330–335 10.17491/jgsi/1974/150318 1974JGSI...15..330J http://indianjournalofcomputerscience.com/index.php/jgsi/article/download/63266/49378 15 June 2023 Nomen Dubium India Popular culture Dinosaur Planet by Anne McAffrey was published. This novel was about a planet called Ireta that was populated by dinosaurs transplanted there by aliens attempting to preserve Earth's Mesozoic biosphere. Paleontologist William A. S. Sarjeant has praised the intelligent pterosaurs descended from Quetzalcoatlus in the novel as plausible. References Sarjeant, W. A. S., 2001, Dinosaurs in fiction: In: Mesozoic Vertebrate Life, edited by Tanke, D. H., and Carpenter, K., Indiana University Press, p. 504-529. Trexler, D., 2001, Two Medicine Formation, Montana: geology and fauna: In: Mesozoic Vertebrate Life, edited by Tanke, D. H., and Carpenter, K., Indiana University Press, pp. 298–309. 8 Paleontology 8