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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 1986.

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
Avaceratops[4]	Valid taxon	Dodson			Avaceratops Baryonyx Conchoraptor
Baryonyx[5]	Valid taxon	Alan J. Charig	Angela C. Milner
Conchoraptor[6]	Valid taxon	Rinchen Barsbold
Lapparentosaurus[7]	Valid taxon	Jose Bonaparte
Siamosaurus[8]	Valid taxon	Eric Buffetaut	Ingavat
Xenotarsosaurus[9]	Valid taxon	Martinez Gimenez	Rodriguez Bochatey

Plesiosaurs

New taxa

Pterosaurs

• Fossil jaw fragments containing multicusped teeth were found in Dockum Group rocks in western Texas.^[10] One fragment, apparently from a lower jaw, contained two teeth, each with five cusps.^[10] Another fragment, from an upper jaw, also contained several multi-cusped teeth.^[10] These finds are very similar to the pterosaur genus Eudimorphodon and may be attributable to this genus, although without better fossil remains it is impossible to be sure.^[10]

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. ^ Dodson, P. 1986. Avaceratops lammersi: a new ceratopsid from the Judith River Formation of Montana. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 138: pp. 305-317.
5. ^ Charig, A.J. and A.C. Milner. 1986. Baryonyx, a remarkable new theropod dinosaur. Nature 324 (6095): pp. 359-361.
6. ^ Barsbold, R. 1986. [Raubdinosaurier Oviraptoren]. In: Vorobyeva, E. I. (ed.). Herpetologische Untersuchungen in der Mongolischen Volksrepublik. Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. Inst. Evolyucionnoy Morfologii i Ekologil Zhivotnykh im. A. M. Severtsova, Moskva: pp.210-223.
7. ^ Bonaparte, J.F. 1986. The early radiation and phylogenetic relationships of the Jurassic sauropod dinosaurs, based on vertebral anatomy. In: The beginnings of the age of dinosaurs (K. Padian, ed.). Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, UK: pp. 247-258.
8. ^ Buffetaut, E. and R. Ingevat. 1986. Unusual theropod dinosaur teeth from the Upper Jurassic of Phu Wiang northeastern Thailand. Rev. Paleobiol. 5: pp. 217-220.
9. ^ Martinez, R, O. Gimenez, J. Rodriguez, and G. Bochatey. 1985. Xenotarsosaurus bonapartei nov. gen. et sp. (Carnosauria, Abelisauridae) un nuevo Theropoda de la Formacion Bajo Barrel Chubut, Argentina. Actas IV Congreso Argentino de Paleontoloiga y Bioestratigraffa 2: pp. 23-31.
10. ^ ^{a b c d} Wellnhofer, Peter (1991). "Summary of Triassic Pterosaurs." The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs. London, UK: Salamander Books Limited. p. 67. ISBN 0-86101-566-5.