1972 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 1972.

Mollusca[]

New bivalves[]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Concavodonta^[2]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	Babin & Melou	Ordovician		Europe	New genus for Nucula ponderata.

Archosauromorphs[]

Newly named archosauromorphs[]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Azendohsaurus^[3]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid		Late Triassic	Argana Formation	Morocco	A herbivorous archosauromorph.

Newly named pseudosuchians[]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Gracilisuchus^[4]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	Romer	Late Triassic	Chañares Formation	Argentina		Gracilisuchus

Newly named dinosauriforms[]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Lewisuchus^[5]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	Romer	Middle Triassic (Ladinian)	Chañares Formation	Argentina	A silesaurid.

Newly named dinosaurs[]

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

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Archaeornithomimus^[7]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	Russell	Late Cretaceous	Iren Dabasu Formation	China	An ornithomimid.	Archaeornithomimus asiaticus
Dromiceiomimus^[7]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	Russell	Maastrichtian	Horseshoe Canyon Formation	Canada	An ornithomimid, possibly a synonym of Ornithomimus.	Dromiceiomimus
Gallimimus^[8]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	Osmólska, Roniewicz Barsbold	Late Cretaceous	Nemegt Formation	Mongolia	An ornithomimid.	Gallimimus
"Thotobolosaurus"^[9]		Nomen nudum		Late Triassic		Lesotho	Formally named Kholumolumo in 2020.
Vulcanodon^[10]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid		Early Jurassic	Batoka Formation	Zimbabwe	A sauropod.

Newly named birds[]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes
^[11]	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Valid	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Late Miocene	MN 9	Soviet Union: Moldova	An Anatidae, this is the type species of the new genus.
Aptenodytes ridgeni ^[12]	Sp. nov.	Valid	George G. Simpson	Late Pliocene		New Zealand	A Spheniscidae.
^[13]	Sp. nov.	Valid		Middle Pleistocene		Hungary	An Apodidae.
^[11]	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Valid	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Late Miocene	MN 9	Soviet Union: Moldova	An Ardeidae.
^[14]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Craig Call Black	Early Eocene	Wind River Formation	USA: Wyoming	A Strigiformes, Protostrigidae Wetmore, 1933.
^[13]	Sp. nov.	Valid		Early Pleistocene		Czech Republic; Romania	An Anatidae.
^[15]	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Valid	Pierce Brodkorb	Late Miocene		USA: Colorado	A Corvidae, this is the type species of the new genus.
^[13]	Sp. nov.	Valid		Early Pleistocene		Romania	An Otididae.
Paraptenodytes brodkorbi ^[16]	Sp. nov.	Synonym of Paraptenodytes robustus (Ameghino, 1895).	George G. Simpson	Early Miocene		Argentina	A Spheniscidae, placed in synonymy with Paraptenodytes robustus (Ameghino, 1895) by Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche, 2005,^[17] but Sara Bertelli, Norberto P. Giannini & Daniel T. Ksepka, 2006 disagree with her and say it needs another genus.^[18]
^[11]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Late Miocene		Soviet Union: Moldova	A Phalacrocoracidae.
^[11]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Late Miocene	MN 9	Soviet Union: Moldova	A Gruidae, transferred to the genus Grus by Jíří Mlíkovský, 2002.^[19]
^[15]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Pierce Brodkorb	Late Pliocene	Blancan	USA: Texas; Kansas	A Corvidae, sometimes placed in the genus Calocitta G. R. Gray, 1841.
Pygoscelis tyreei ^[12]	Sp. nov.	Valid	George G. Simpson	Late Pliocene		New Zealand	A Spheniscidae.
^[20]	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Valid		Late Miocene		Soviet Union: Georgia	A Phasianidae, this is the type species of the new genus.
^[21]	Sp. nov.	Valid		Middle Miocene		France	A Strigidae, transferred to and made the type species of the new genus Alasio by Jirí Mlíkovský, 1998.^[22]
^[23]	Sp. nov.	Valid		Early Pleistocene		Czech Republic	A Strigidae.
^[11]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Late Miocene		Soviet Union: Moldova	A Rallidae, transferred to the genus Palaeoaramides Lambrecht, 1933 by Storrs L. Olson, 1977.^[24] Subsequently, made the type species of a separate genus Mioporphyrula by Zelenkov (2015).^[25]
^[26]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Oscar Arredondo	Late Pleistocene	Cave deposits	Cuba	A Tytonidae.
Tyto riveroi ^[27]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Oscar Arredondo	Pleistocene	Cave deposits	Cuba	A Tytonidae.

Synapsids[]

Newly named therapsids[]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Regisaurus^[28]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid		Early Triassic		South Africa	A regisaurid therocephalian.	Regisaurus jacobi.

References[]

^ 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.
^ Sánchez, T.M. (1999). "New Late Ordovician (Early Caradoc) Bivalves from the Sierra de Villicum (Argentine Precordillera)". Journal of Paleontology. 73 (1): 66–76. doi:10.1017/S0022336000027554. JSTOR 1306745.
^ Dutuit, J.M. 1972. Decouverte d'un dinosaure ornthischien dans le Trias supericur de l'Atlas occidental marocain. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris D275: pp. 2841-2844.
^ Romer, A.S. (1972). "The Chañares (Argentina) Triassic reptile fauna. An early ornithosuchid pseudosuchian, Gracilisuchus stipanicicorum, gen. et sp. nov". Breviora. 389: 1–24.
^ Romer, A.S. 1972. The Chanares (Argentina) Triassic Reptile Fauna. XIV. Lewisuchus admixtus, gen. et sp. nov., a further Thecodont from the Chanares Beds. Breviora 390: pp. 1-13.
^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Retrieved 2008-08-07.
^ ^a ^b Russell, D.A. 1972. Ostrich dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Western Canada. Can. J. Earth Sci. 9: pp. 375-402.
^ Osmolska, H., E. Roniewicz, and R. Barsbold. 1972. A new dinosaur Gallimimus bullatus, n. gen. n. sp. (Ornithomimidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia. Palaeontol. Polonica 27: pp. 103-143.
^ Ellenberger, P. 1972. Contribution a la classification des pistes de vertebres du Trias: les types du Stormberg d’Afrique du Sud (I). Palaeovertebrata Memories Extraord(1972): pp. 1-152.
^ Raath, M.A. 1972. Fossil vertebrate studies in Rhodesia: a new dinosaur (Reptilia: Saurischia) from near the Trias-Jurassic Boundary. Arnoldia Rhodesia. 5 (30): 1-37.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Evgeny N. Kurochkin & I. M. Ganya (1972). "[Birds of the Middle Sarmatian of Moldavia.]". Pozvonochnye Neogena I Plestocena Moldavii. Kishinev: Shtiintsa: 45–70.
^ ^a ^b George G. Simpson (1972). "Pliocene Penguins from North Canterburry, New Zealand". Records of the Canterburry Museum. 9: 159–182.
^ ^a ^b ^c Dénes Jánossy (1972). "Die Mittelpleistozäne Vogelfauna der Stránská Skála". Anthropos, Studia Musei Moraviae, Brno. New Series. 20: 35–64.
^ Larry D. Martin & Craig C. Black (1972). "A New Owl from the Eocene of Wyoming" (PDF). Auk. 89 (4): 887–888. doi:10.2307/4084122. JSTOR 4084122.
^ ^a ^b Pierce Brodkorb (1972). "Neogene Fossil Jays from the Great Plains" (PDF). Condor. 74 (3): 347–349. doi:10.2307/1366596. JSTOR 1366596.
^ George G. Simpson (1972). "Conspectus of Patagonian Fossil Penguins" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (2488): 1–37.
^ Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche (2005). "Systematic revision of Arthrodytes Ameghino, 1905 (Aves, Spheniscidae) and its assignment to the Paraptenodytinae". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte. 2005 (7): 404–414. doi:10.1127/njgpm/2005/2005/404.
^ Sara Bertelli, Norberto P. Giannini & Daniel T. Ksepka (2006). "Redescription and Phylogenetic Position of the Early Miocene Penguin Paraptenodytes antarcticus from Patagonia" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (3525): 1–36. doi:10.1206/0003-0082(2006)3525[1:rappot]2.0.co;2.
^ Jíří Mlíkovský (2002). "Cenozoic Birds of the World Part 1: Europe" (PDF). Praha Ninox Press. 2002: 1–407. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-03-07. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
^ Nikolay I. Burchak-Abramovich & G. K. Meladze (1972). "Rustaviornis georgicus gen. et sp. n., a New Fossil Bird from the Hipparion Fauna of Georgia". Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia. 17: 373–388.
^ Peter Ballmann (1972). "Les Oiseaux Miocènes de Vieux-Collonges" (PDF). Documents des Laboratoires de Géologie de la Faculté des Sciences de Lyon. 50: 93–101.
^ Jirí Mlíkovský (1998). "Two New Owls (Aves: Strigidae) from the Early Miocene of the Czech Republic, with Comments on the Fossil History of the Subfamily Striginae" (PDF). Buteo. 10: 5–21.
^ Dénes Jánossy (1972). "Die Mittelpleistozäne Vogelfauna der Stránská Skála" (PDF). Anthropos, Studia Musei Moraviae, Brno. New Series. 20: 35–64.
^ Storrs L. Olson (1977). "A Synopsis of the Fossil Rallidae" (PDF). In: Rails of the World: A Monograph of the Family Rallidae by S.D. Ripley: 509–525.
^ Nikita V. Zelenkov and Evgeny N. Kurochkin (2015). "КЛАСС AVES". In E.N. Kurochkin; A.V. Lopatin; N.V. Zelenkov (eds.). Ископаемые позвоночн��е России и сопредельных стран. Ископаемые рептилии и птицы. Часть 3 / Fossil vertebrates of Russia and adjacent countries. Fossil Reptiles and Birds. Part 3. GEOS. pp. 86–290. ISBN 978-5-89118-699-6.
^ Oscar Arredondo (1972). "Nueva Especie de Ave Fósil (Strigiformes: Tytonidae) del Pleistoceno Superior de Cuba" (PDF). Boletin de la Sociedad Venezolana Ciencias Naturales. 29: 415–431.
^ Oscar Arredondo (1972). "Especie Nueva de Lechuza Gigante (Strigiformes: Tytonidae) del Pleistoceno Cubano" (PDF). Boletin de la Sociedad Venezolana Ciencias Naturales. 30: 129–140.
^ C. H. Mendrez. 1972. On the skull of Regisaurus jacobi, a new genus and species of Bauriamorpha Watson and Romer 1956 (=Scaloposauria Boonstra 1953), from the Lystrosaurus-zone of South Africa.

[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.

[Sánchez1999-2] Sánchez, T.M. (1999). "New Late Ordovician (Early Caradoc) Bivalves from the Sierra de Villicum (Argentine Precordillera)". Journal of Paleontology. 73 (1): 66–76. doi:10.1017/S0022336000027554. JSTOR 1306745.

[3] Dutuit, J.M. 1972. Decouverte d'un dinosaure ornthischien dans le Trias supericur de l'Atlas occidental marocain. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris D275: pp. 2841-2844.

[4] Romer, A.S. (1972). "The Chañares (Argentina) Triassic reptile fauna. An early ornithosuchid pseudosuchian, Gracilisuchus stipanicicorum, gen. et sp. nov". Breviora. 389: 1–24.

[5] Romer, A.S. 1972. The Chanares (Argentina) Triassic Reptile Fauna. XIV. Lewisuchus admixtus, gen. et sp. nov., a further Thecodont from the Chanares Beds. Breviora 390: pp. 1-13.

[ddinogeorge-6] Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Retrieved 2008-08-07.

[russel72ostrich-7] Russell, D.A. 1972. Ostrich dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Western Canada. Can. J. Earth Sci. 9: pp. 375-402.

[8] Osmolska, H., E. Roniewicz, and R. Barsbold. 1972. A new dinosaur Gallimimus bullatus, n. gen. n. sp. (Ornithomimidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia. Palaeontol. Polonica 27: pp. 103-143.

[9] Ellenberger, P. 1972. Contribution a la classification des pistes de vertebres du Trias: les types du Stormberg d’Afrique du Sud (I). Palaeovertebrata Memories Extraord(1972): pp. 1-152.

[10] Raath, M.A. 1972. Fossil vertebrate studies in Rhodesia: a new dinosaur (Reptilia: Saurischia) from near the Trias-Jurassic Boundary. Arnoldia Rhodesia. 5 (30): 1-37.

[KurochkinGanya-11] Evgeny N. Kurochkin & I. M. Ganya (1972). "[Birds of the Middle Sarmatian of Moldavia.]". Pozvonochnye Neogena I Plestocena Moldavii. Kishinev: Shtiintsa: 45–70.

[Simpson1972-12] George G. Simpson (1972). "Pliocene Penguins from North Canterburry, New Zealand". Records of the Canterburry Museum. 9: 159–182.

[Otis-13] Dénes Jánossy (1972). "Die Mittelpleistozäne Vogelfauna der Stránská Skála". Anthropos, Studia Musei Moraviae, Brno. New Series. 20: 35–64.

[Eostrix-14] Larry D. Martin & Craig C. Black (1972). "A New Owl from the Eocene of Wyoming" (PDF). Auk. 89 (4): 887–888. doi:10.2307/4084122. JSTOR 4084122.

[Brodkorb1972-15] Pierce Brodkorb (1972). "Neogene Fossil Jays from the Great Plains" (PDF). Condor. 74 (3): 347–349. doi:10.2307/1366596. JSTOR 1366596.

[Paraptenodytes-16] George G. Simpson (1972). "Conspectus of Patagonian Fossil Penguins" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (2488): 1–37.

[brodkorbi-17] Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche (2005). "Systematic revision of Arthrodytes Ameghino, 1905 (Aves, Spheniscidae) and its assignment to the Paraptenodytinae". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte. 2005 (7): 404–414. doi:10.1127/njgpm/2005/2005/404.

[Bertelli-18] Sara Bertelli, Norberto P. Giannini & Daniel T. Ksepka (2006). "Redescription and Phylogenetic Position of the Early Miocene Penguin Paraptenodytes antarcticus from Patagonia" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (3525): 1–36. doi:10.1206/0003-0082(2006)3525[1:rappot]2.0.co;2.

[Nettapterornis-19] Jíří Mlíkovský (2002). "Cenozoic Birds of the World Part 1: Europe" (PDF). Praha Ninox Press. 2002: 1–407. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-03-07. Retrieved 2014-10-15.

[Rustaviornis-20] Nikolay I. Burchak-Abramovich & G. K. Meladze (1972). "Rustaviornis georgicus gen. et sp. n., a New Fossil Bird from the Hipparion Fauna of Georgia". Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia. 17: 373–388.

[Strix-21] Peter Ballmann (1972). "Les Oiseaux Miocènes de Vieux-Collonges" (PDF). Documents des Laboratoires de Géologie de la Faculté des Sciences de Lyon. 50: 93–101.

[Alasio-22] Jirí Mlíkovský (1998). "Two New Owls (Aves: Strigidae) from the Early Miocene of the Czech Republic, with Comments on the Fossil History of the Subfamily Striginae" (PDF). Buteo. 10: 5–21.

[Surnia-23] Dénes Jánossy (1972). "Die Mittelpleistozäne Vogelfauna der Stránská Skála" (PDF). Anthropos, Studia Musei Moraviae, Brno. New Series. 20: 35–64.

[Rallidae-24] Storrs L. Olson (1977). "A Synopsis of the Fossil Rallidae" (PDF). In: Rails of the World: A Monograph of the Family Rallidae by S.D. Ripley: 509–525.

[25] Nikita V. Zelenkov and Evgeny N. Kurochkin (2015). "КЛАСС AVES". In E.N. Kurochkin; A.V. Lopatin; N.V. Zelenkov (eds.). Ископаемые позвоночн��е России и сопредельных стран. Ископаемые рептилии и птицы. Часть 3 / Fossil vertebrates of Russia and adjacent countries. Fossil Reptiles and Birds. Part 3. GEOS. pp. 86–290. ISBN 978-5-89118-699-6.

[noeli-26] Oscar Arredondo (1972). "Nueva Especie de Ave Fósil (Strigiformes: Tytonidae) del Pleistoceno Superior de Cuba" (PDF). Boletin de la Sociedad Venezolana Ciencias Naturales. 29: 415–431.

[riveroi-27] Oscar Arredondo (1972). "Especie Nueva de Lechuza Gigante (Strigiformes: Tytonidae) del Pleistoceno Cubano" (PDF). Boletin de la Sociedad Venezolana Ciencias Naturales. 30: 129–140.

[28] C. H. Mendrez. 1972. On the skull of Regisaurus jacobi, a new genus and species of Bauriamorpha Watson and Romer 1956 (=Scaloposauria Boonstra 1953), from the Lystrosaurus-zone of South Africa.

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