From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 1978.

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
Amtosaurus[4]	Nomen dubium.	Sergei Kurzanov	Tumanova		Saurornitholestes Yangchuanosaurus
Coloradia[5]	Valid taxon	Jose Bonaparte		PReoccupied by Blake 1863. Renamed Coloradisaurus.
Lesothosaurus[6]	Valid taxon Possible junior synonym of Fabrosaurus.	Peter Galton
Micropachycephalosaurus[7]	Valid taxon	Dong Zhiming
Ohmdenosaurus[8]	Valid taxon	Wild
"Roccosaurus"[9]	Nomen nudum. Junior synonym of Melanorosaurus.	van Heerden vide: Anderson	Cruickshank
Saurornitholestes[10]	Valid taxon	Hans-Dieter Sues
Yangchuanosaurus[11]	Valid taxon	Dong Zhiming, Chang Y.	Li X. M. Zhou S.

Pterosaurs

New taxa

Humans

• A paleoanthropological team led by Mary Leakey finds 3.5 million year old human footprints.

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. ^ 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.
5. ^ 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.
6. ^ Galton, P.M. 1978. Fabrosauridae, the basal family of ornithischian dinosaurs (Reptilia: Ornithopoda). Paläont. Z. 52 (1/2): pp. 138-159.
7. ^ Dong, Z. 1978. A new genus of Pachycephalosauria from Laiyang, Shantung. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 16: pp. 225-228.
8. ^ Wild, 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.
9. ^ 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.
10. ^ Sues, 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.
11. ^ Dong, 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.