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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 1977.

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
Fulengia[4]	Nomen dubium. Possible synonym of Lufengosaurus.	Carroll	Peter Galton		Othnielia Piveteausaurus Saichania Tuojiangosaurus
Opisthocoelicaudia[5]	Valid taxon	Borsuk-Bialynicka
Othnielia[6]	Valid taxon	Peter Galton
Piveteausaurus[7]	Valid taxon	Philippe Taquet	Welles
Saichania[8]	Valid taxon	Teresa Maryańska
"Shanshanosaurus"[9]	Junior synonym of Tarbosaurus.	Dong Zhiming
Tarchia[10]	Valid taxon	Teresa Maryańska
Tuojiangosaurus[11]	Valid taxon	Dong Zhiming Li X. M.	Zhou S. Zhang Y. H.
Valdosaurus[12]	Valid taxon	Peter Galton
Wannanosaurus[13]	Valid taxon	Hou
"Yezosaurus"	Nomen nudum. Non-dinosaurian marine reptile.	Obata	Muramoto

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. ^ Carroll, R.L. and P.M. Galton. 1977. Modern lizard from the Upper Triassic of China. Nature 266: pp. 252-255.
5. ^ Borsuk-Bialynicka, M. 1977. A new camarasaurid sauropod Opisthocoelicaudia skarzynskii, gen. n. sp. n. from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia. Palaeontol. Polonica 37: pp. 5-64.
6. ^ Galton, P.M. 1977. The ornithopod dinosaur Dryosaurus and a Laurasia-Gondwanaland connection in the Upper Jurassic. Nature 268: pp. 230-232.
7. ^ Taquet, P., and S. Welles. 1977. Redescription du crane de Dinosaure theropode de Dives (Normandie). Annales de Paleontologie, tomo 63 (fasc. 2): pp. 191-206.
8. ^ Maryanska, T. 1977. Ankylosauridae (Dinosauria) from Mongolia. Paleontol. Polinica 37: pp. 85-151.
9. ^ Dong, Z. 1977. On the dinosaurian remains from Turpan, Xinjiang. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 15: pp. 59-66.
10. ^ Maryanska, T. 1977. Ankylosauridae (Dinosauria) from Mongolia. Paleontol. Polinica 37: pp. 85-151.
11. ^ Dong, Z., X. Li, S. Zhou, and Y. Chang. 1977. On the stegosaurian remain from Zigong (Tzekung), Szechuan Province. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 15: pp. 307-312.
12. ^ Olshevsky, G. 1991. A Revision of the Parainfraclass Archosauria Cope, 1869, Excluding the Advanced Crocodylia. Mesozoic Meanderings 2 (1st printing): iv + 196 pages.
13. ^ Hou, L. 1977. A new primitive pachycephalosauria from Anhui, China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 15: pp. 198-202.