1912 in paleontology

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 1912.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915

Expeditions, field work, and fossil discoveries
  • William Edmund Cutler first began collecting fossils, choosing the mouth of Kneehills Creek in Alberta as a prospecting site. According to paleontologist Darren Tanke, Cutler was motivated by "commercial gain".[2]
  • Charles H. Sternberg and his sons began working under a contract with the Geological Survey of Canada, which at the time was responsible for maintaining the National Museum of Canada. Lawrence Lambe occupied a supervisory position in the project. The Sternbergs were in competition with Barnum Brown of the American Museum of Natural History through a period that came to be known as the Great Canadian Dinosaur Rush.

Institutions and organizations

Natural history museums
  • The Calgary Public Museum of Alberta, Canada moved to occupy a single floor of the city's Memorial Park Library Building.[2]

Scientific advances

Invertebrate paleozoology
Prehistoric arthropods described in 1912
Name Status Authors Discovery year Age Location Notes Images
Burgessia Valid Walcott 1912 Cambrian
Leanchoilia Valid Walcott 1912 Cambrian
Waptia Valid Walcott 1912 Cambrian
Yohoia Valid Walcott 1912 Cambrian

Vertebrate paleozoology
Non-mammalian synapsids described in 1912
Name Status Authors Age Location Notes Images
Alopecorhinus Valid 262 million years ago

Emydochampsa

 Valid 257 million years ago
Emydops Valid Broom 257 million years ago
Galeops Synonym of Emydops. Broom
Ictidopsis Synonym of Thrinaxodon.
Taurops Valid Broom
Tritheledon Valid Broom 194 million years ago

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[3]

Prehistoric dinosaurs described in 1912
Name Status Authors Location Notes Images
Saurolophus[4] Valid taxon a Hadrosaur with a Horn-like crest on its head.

Law and politics

Ethics and practice

People

Awards and recognition


Literature
  • The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was published. This novel was the first major fictional portrayal of dinosaurs in the 20th century. It was also the first work of fiction to depict dinosaurs as surviving somewhere in a remote wilderness refuge. Conan Doyle depicted the novel's dinosaurs as cold blooded and stupid. This accurately reflected the scientific thinking of the period, but is now obsolete. Paleontologist William A. S. Sarjeant has characterized Conan Doyle's dinosaurs as otherwise "excellently described".Conan Doyle also incorrectly accepted the prevailing scientific consensus of the period that pterosaurs were poor fliers who depended on gliding to travel. Nevertheless, Sarjeant also noted that while Conan Doyle underestimated pterosaur flying abilities, he anticipated the later scientific conclusion that they were social animals.

See also

References
  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. D. H. Tanke. 2010. Lost in plain sight: rediscovery of William E. Cutler's missing Eoceratops. In M. J. Ryan, B. J. Chinnery-Allgeier, D. A. Eberth (eds.), New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs: The Royal Tyrrell Museum Ceratopsian Symposium. Indiana University Press, Bloomington 541-550.
  3. Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  4. Brown, B. 1912. A crested dinosaur from the Edmonton Cretaceous. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 31: pp. 131-136.
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