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1954 in paleontology

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
+...

Paleontology or palaeontology 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 feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have 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 or were published in the year 1954.

Plants

[edit]

Angiosperms

[edit]
Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Amyridoxylon[2]

Gen et sp nov

Kruse

Early Eocene

Green River Formation

 USA
 Wyoming

A rutaceous petrified wood.
The type species is A. ordinatum

Aspidospermoxylon[2]

Gen et sp nov

Kruse

Early Eocene

Green River Formation

 USA
 Wyoming

An apocynaceous petrified wood.
The type species is A. uniseriatum

Chandlera[3]

Gen et sp nov

valid

Scott

Middle Eocene

Clarno Formation

 USA
 Oregon

A moon seed genus.
Type species C. lacunosa.

Edenoxylon[2]

Gen et sp nov

Kruse

Early Eocene

Green River Formation

 USA
 Wyoming

An anacaridaceous petrified wood.
The type species is E. parviareolatum

Fagara biseriata[2]

Sp nov

Kruse

Early Eocene

Green River Formation

 USA
 Wyoming

A rutaceous petrified wood.

Fagara monophylloides[2]

Sp nov

Kruse

Early Eocene

Green River Formation

 USA
 Wyoming

A rutaceous petrified wood.

Forchhammerioxylon[2]

Gen et sp nov

Kruse

Early Eocene

Green River Formation

 USA
 Wyoming

A resedaceous petrified wood.
The type species is F. scleroticum

Heveoxylon[2]

Gen et sp nov

Kruse

Early Eocene

Green River Formation

 USA
 Wyoming

A euphorbiaceous petrified wood.
The type species is H. microporosum

Juglans clarnensis[3]

Sp nov

valid

Scott

Middle Eocene

Clarno Formation

 USA
 Oregon

A walnut.

Mastixioidiocarpum oregonense[3]

Gen et sp nov

valid

Scott

Middle Eocene

Clarno Formation

 USA
 Oregon

A Tupelo relative

Myrica scalariformis[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Kruse

Early Eocene

Green River Formation

 USA
 Wyoming

An Eden Valley petrified wood.
Moved to Morella scalariformis in 2021[4]

Odontocaryoidea[3]

Gen et sp nov

valid

Scott

Middle Eocene

Clarno Formation

 USA
 Oregon

A moon seed genus.
Type species O. nodulosa.

Palaeonyssa spatulata[3]

sp nov

jr synonym

Scott

Middle Eocene

Clarno Formation

 USA

A Tupelo,
moved to Nyssa spatulata in 1994

Palaeophytocrene hancockii[3]

Sp nov

valid

Scott

Middle Eocene

Clarno Formation

 USA
 Oregon

An icacinaceous species.

Palaeophytocrene pseudopersica[3]

Sp nov

valid

Scott

Middle Eocene

Clarno Formation

 USA
 Oregon

An icacinaceous species.

Parthenocissus angustisulcata[3]

Sp nov

valid

Scott

Middle Eocene

Clarno Formation

 USA
 Oregon

A vitaceous species

Schinoxylon[2]

Gen et sp nov

Kruse

Early Eocene

Green River Formation

 USA
 Wyoming

An anacaridaceous petrified wood.
The type species is S. actinoporosum

Suriana inordinata[2]

Sp nov

Kruse

Early Eocene

Green River Formation

 USA
 Wyoming

A surianaceous petrified wood.

Talauma multiperforata[2]

Sp nov

Kruse

Early Eocene

Green River Formation

 USA
 Wyoming

An Eden Valley petrified wood.

Trochodendroxylon beckii[5]

Sp nov

valid

Hergert & Phinney

Middle Eocene

Clarno Formation

 USA
 Oregon

A Trochodendron wood species.
Moved to Trochodendron beckii in 1982

Arthropods

[edit]

Insects

[edit]
Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Parastylotermes frazieri[6]

Sp. nov

valid

Snyder

Miocene

 USA

A Stylotermitid termite.

Archosauromorphs

[edit]

Phytosaurs

[edit]
Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Coburgosuchus[7]

Valid taxon
  • Heller

Late Triassic (Norian)

Burgsandstein Formation

 Germany

A member of Pseudopalatinae.

Dinosaurs

[edit]

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[8]

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Mamenchisaurus[9] Valid taxon

Late Jurassic (late Callovian-early Oxfordian)

Shangshaximiao Formation

A mamenchisaurid. The type species is M. constructus. This animal had a neck of more than 10 meters.

Mamenchisaurus
Rebbachisaurus[10] Valid taxon

Middle Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian)

Kem Kem Beds

A rebbachisaurid.

Rebbachisaurus
Therizinosaurus[11] Valid taxon

Late Cretaceous (late Campanian-early Maastrichtian)

Nemegt Formation

A therizinosaurid.

Therizinosaurus

Synapsids

[edit]

Pelycosaurs

[edit]
Name Status Authors Age Location Notes Images

Phreatophasma

Valid

Ivan Yefremov

Middle Permian

 Russia

A synapsid of uncertain affinities, perhaps a caseid.

Eutherians

[edit]

Cetaceans

[edit]
Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Leptodelphis

Valid

Kirpichnikov

Middle Miocene (Sarmatian)

 Russia

A member of Kentriodontidae.

Sarmatodelphis

Valid

Kirpichnikov

Middle Miocene (Sarmatian)

 Moldova

A kentriodontid.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Gini-Newman, Garfield; Graham, Elizabeth (2001). Echoes from the past: world history to the 16th century. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. ISBN 9780070887398. OCLC 46769716.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Kruse, H.O. (1954). "Some Eocene dicotyledonous woods from Eden Valley, Wyoming". Ohio Journal of Science. 54 (4): 243–244.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Manchester, S.R. (1994). "Fruits and Seeds of the Middle Eocene Nut Beds Flora, Clarno Formation, Oregon". Palaeontographica Americana. 58: 30–31.
  4. ^ Wheeler, E. A.; Baas, P.; Manchester, S. R. (2021). "Wood Anatomy of Modern and Fossil Fagales in Relation to Phylogenetic Hypotheses, Familial Classification, and Patterns of Character Evolution". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 183 (1): 61–86. doi:10.1086/717328. S2CID 244081754.
  5. ^ Scott, R. A.; Wheeler, E. A. (1982). "Fossil woods from the Eocene Clarno Formation of Oregon". IAWA Journal. 3 (3–4): 135–154. doi:10.1163/22941932-90000829.
  6. ^ Snyder, T.E. (1955). "A new fossil termite, Parastylotermes frazieri, from California (Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae)" (PDF). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 57 (2): 79–80.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ Ein Parasuchier-Schädelrest aus dem Oberen Burgsandstein von Coburg [A parasuchian skull remain from the Upper Burgsandstein of Coburg]. Geologisch Blätter für Nordost-Bayern 3:1-13
  8. ^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  9. ^ Young C.-C. 1954. On a new sauropod from Yiping. Szechuan, China. Acta Palaeontol. Sinica 2: pp. 355-369.
  10. ^ René Lavocat. 1954. Sur les Dinosauriens du continental intercalaire des Kem-Kem de la Daoura. C. R. 19th Internatl. Geol. Congr. (1952): pp. 65-68.
  11. ^ Maleev, E.A. 1954. A new turtle-like saurian in Mongolia. Priroda (1954): pp. 106-108.