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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 1970.

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
Daspletosaurus[4]	Disputed.	Dale A. Russell		May be a junior synonym of Albertosaurus.	Daspletosaurus Deinocheirus Dilophosaurus Sauropelta Staurikosaurus Tenontosaurus
Deinocheirus[5]	Valid taxon.	Halszka Osmólska	Roniewicz
Dilophosaurus[6]	Valid taxon	Welles
"Likhoelesaurus"[7]	Nomen nudum.	Ellenberger		Misidentified non-dinosaurian archosaur.
"Longisquama"[8]	Misidentification.	Aleksandr Grigorevich Sharov		Non-dinosaurian gliding reptile.
"Megadontosaurus"[9]	Nomen nudum	Barnum Brown vide: John Ostrom		Chimera of Deinonychus and Microvenator.
Microvenator[10]	Valid taxon	John Ostrom
Sauropelta[10]	Valid taxon	John Ostrom
Staurikosaurus[11]	Valid taxon	Edwin H. Colbert
Tenontosaurus[10]	Valid taxon	John Ostrom

Pterosaurs

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. ^ Russell, D.A. 1970. Tyrannosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Western Canada. National Museum of Nat. Sci., Publ. Paleontology No. 1.
5. ^ Osmolska, H. and E. Roniewicz. 1970. Deinocheiridae, a new family of theropod dinosaurs. Palaeontol. Polonica 21: pp. 5-19.
6. ^ Welles, S.P. 1970. Dilophosaurus (Reptilia: Saurischia), a new name for a dinosaur. J. Paleontol. 44: p. 989.
7. ^ Ellenberger, P. 1970. Les niveaux Paleontologiques de premiere apparition des Mammiferes primordiaux ed afrique du sud et leur ichnologie, establissement de zones stratigaphiques detaillees dans le stormberg du Lesotho (Afrique du sud) (Trias superieur a Jurassique). Proceedings Papers of the 2nd Gondwana Symposium in South Africa, 1970: pp. 343-370.
8. ^ Sharov, A.G. 1970. A peculiar reptile from the Lower Triassic of Fergana. Paleontologiceskij Zurnal 1: pp. 127-130.
9. ^ Brown vide Ostrom, J.H. 1970. Terrestrial vertebrates as indicators of Mesozoic climates. Proc. North. Am. Paleontol. Convention D, 347-376.
10. ^ ^{a b c} Ostrom, J.H. 1970. Stratigraphy and paleontology of the Cloverly Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of the Bighorn Basin area, Wyoming and Montana. Peabody Museum Nat. History Bull. 35: pp. 1-234.
11. ^ Colbert, E.H. 1970. A saurischian dinosaur from the Triassic of Brasil. Amer. Mus. Novitates 2405: pp. 1-39.