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. 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.
Expeditions, field work, and fossil discoveries A paleoanthropological team led by Mary Leakey found 3.5 million year old human footprints. Baby hadrosaurs were discovered in the Two Medicine Formation.
Cnidarians
Maurits Lindström, described the earliest known octocoral in Sweden shifting the first known appearance from the Cretaceous to the Ordovician.
Arthropods Newly named crustaceans Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes ImagesAenigmacarisGen et sp novValidSchram & HornerSerpukhovianBear Gulch LimestoneAn aeschronectid, type species is A. cornigerumBairdops beargulchensisSp novValidSchram & HornerSerpukhovianBear Gulch LimestoneAn early mantis shrimpDithyrocaris rolfeiSp novValidSchram & HornerSerpukhovianBear Gulch LimestoneA phyllocaridPerimecturus rapaxSp novValidSchram & HornerSerpukhovianBear Gulch LimestoneAn early mantis shrimpSairocaris centurionSp novValidSchram & HornerSerpukhovianBear Gulch LimestoneA sairocaridid
Fish Newly named Ray-finned fish Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes ImagesEohiodon woodruffiSp novjr synonymWilsonYpresianKlondike Mountain FormationA mooneye, Moved to Hiodon woodruffi in 2008
Dinosaurs Newly named dinosaurs Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.
Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images"Amtosaurus"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.Gen novNomen dubium. Kurzanov Tumanova"Coloradia"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.Gen et sp novjr homonym Bonaparte Preoccupied by Blake 1863. Renamed Coloradisaurus.LesothosaurusGen et sp novValid GaltonEarly Jurassic Possible junior synonym of Fabrosaurus.MicropachycephalosaurusDong, Z. 1978. A new genus of Pachycephalosauria from Laiyang, Shantung. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 16: pp. 225-228.Gen novValid Dong A pachycephalosaur. OhmdenosaurusWild, 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.Valid Wild "Roccosaurus"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. Nomen nudum. van Heerden vide: Anderson & CruickshankJunior synonym of Melanorosaurus.SaurornitholestesSues, 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.Gen et sp novValid SuesCampanian Judith River Formation(A North Polar Dromaeosaur. YangchuanosaurusDong, 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.Gen et sp novValid Zhiming, Chang, Li, & ZhouA carnosaur
General research Peter M. Galton published a paper on Fabrosauridae, including redescribing Fabrosaurus, Echinodon and Nanosaurus along with naming Lesothosaurus.
Birds Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes ImagesAldabranas cabri Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.ValidColin J. O. Harrison
Cyril A. WalkerLate PleistoceneAldabra Atoll An Anatidae, this is the type species of the new genus.Anser eldaricus Sp. nov.ValidNikolaj I. Burchak-Abramovich
D. V. GadzyevPlioceneLate Sarmantian (Now )An Anatidae.Apus baranensis Sp. nov.ValidDénes JánossyLate PlioceneMN 16a; MN 17 An Apodidae.Chaetura baconica Sp. nov.ValidDénes JánossyLate MioceneMN 11-12 An Apodidae."Gallus" europaeus Sp. nov.Valid ?Colin J. O. HarrisonMiddle PleistoceneMQ 2A A Phasianidae. The taxonomic status of this species should be reevaluated. There is no evidence, that it belongs to the genus Gallus Brisson.Gavia brodkorbi Sp. nov.ValidHildegarde HowardLate MioceneMonterey Formation ()A Gaviidae.Mergus miscellus Sp. nov.ValidRafael Alvarez
Storrs L. OlsonLate MioceneCalvert Formation ( and )An Anatidae."Milvus" brachypterus Sp. nov.ValidDénes JánossyEarly PleistoceneMQ 1b An Apodidae Incertae Sedis.Morus magnus Sp. nov.ValidHildegarde HowardLate MioceneMonterey Formation ()A Sulidae.Phalacrocorax anatolicus Sp. nov.ValidCécile Mourer-ChauviréMiddle MioceneHelvetian A Phalacrocoracidae, transferred to the genus Nectornis Cheneval, 1984 by Mlíkovský, 1998.Pterodroma kurodai Sp. nov.ValidColin J. O. Harrison
Cyril A. WalkerPleistoceneAldabra Atoll A Procellariidae.Puffinus barnesi Sp. nov.ValidHildegarde HowardLate MioceneMonterey Formation ()A Procellariidae.Recurvirostra sanctaneboulae Sp. nov.ValidCécile Mourer-ChauviréLate EoceneMP 18 A Recurvirostridae, most unlikely it is a Recurvirostra or even a Recurvirostridae.Surnia robusta Sp. nov.ValidDénes JánossyLate Pliocene;
Early PleistoceneMN 16,
MN 18;
MQ 1b A Strigidae.
Pterosaurs Name Status AuthorsLocation Notes Geosternbergia Valid Miller () Peteinosaurus Valid Wild Campylognathoides Indicus Nomen Dubium
Popular culture Dinosaur Planet by Anne McAffrey was published. This novel was about a planet called Ireta that was populated by dinosaurs transplanted there by aliens attempting to preserve Earth's Mesozoic biosphere. Paleontologist William A. S. Sarjeant has praised the intelligent pterosaurs descended from Quetzalcoatlus in the novel as plausible.
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