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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 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 1917.

Dinosaurs

Newly named dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list^[2] and Dr. Jeremy Montague's dinosaur genus database.^[3]

Name	Status	Authors		Notes	Images
"Archaeornis"[4]	Misidentification.	Petronievics vide: Petronievics	Woodward	Name rejected in favor of Archaeopteryx. Non-dinosaurian bird.	Edmontosaurus
"Cheneosaurus"[5]	Junior synonym.	Lawrence Lambe		Junior synonym of Hypacrosaurus.
Edmontosaurus[6]	Valid taxon	Lawrence Lambe

Plesiosaurs

New taxa

References

Paleontology portal

1. ^ Newman, Garfield, et al (2001). Echoes from the past: world history to the 16th century. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. ISBN 0-07-088739-X.  
2. ^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". http://www.polychora.com/dinolist.html. Retrieved 2008-08-07.  
3. ^ Montague, Jeremy. "Dr. Montague's Database". http://www.barry.edu/bio300/pdf/montague%20dino%20web%20data%2012-3-2005.pdf. Retrieved 2008-10-29.  
4. ^ Petronievics, B. and A.S. Woodward. 1917. On the pectoral and pelvic arches of the Britt.Mus. specimen of Archaeopteryx. Proc. Zool. Soc. London: pp. 1 - 16.
5. ^ Lambe, L.M. 1917. On Cheneosaurus tolmanensis, a new genus and species of trachodont dinosaur from the Edmonton Cretaceous of Alberta. Ottawa Nat. 30: pp. 117- 123.
6. ^ Lambe, L.M. 1917. A new genus and species of crestless hadrosaur from the Edmonton Formation of Alberta. Ottawa Nat. 31: pp. 65-73.