1937 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 1937.

List of years in paleontology (table)
… 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 …
In science 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940
Art Archaeology Architecture Literature Music Philosophy Science +...

Arthropods

Insects

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Protrogosita[2]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Piton & Théobald	Thanetian	Menat Formation	France	A Trogossitid bark gnawing beetle	Protrogosita distincta

Vertebrates

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

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Jaxartosaurus[4]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Riabinin	Late Cretaceous		Kazakhstan  China	A Lambeosaurine.
Parksosaurus[5]	Gen et comb nov	Valid	Sternberg	Maastrichtian	Horseshoe Canyon Formation	Canada ( Alberta)	A parksosaurid	Parksosaurus

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Location	Notes	Images
Cyonosaurus	Valid	Olson	255 Millions of years ago	South Africa	A Gorgonopsian.	Cyonosaurus
Micrictodon	Junior Synonim				Junior Synonim of Thrinaxodon.
Moschoides	Valid
Myctosuchus	Valid
Newtonella	Valid
Nitosaurus	Valid
Procynosuchus	Valid	Broom	255 Millions of years ago	Germany  Russia  South Africa  Tanzania	One of the Earliest-Known Cynodonts.	Procynosuchus
Sinokannemeyeria	Valid	Young	245 Millions of years ago	China	A Chinese Kannemeyerid Dicynodont.	Sinokannemeyeria

Popular culture

Amusement parks and attractions

• August 28th: The Calgary Zoo's Prehistoric Park opened. Paleontologist Darren Tanke has described Prehistoric Park as "an extensive treed park and pathways containing numerous life-sized concrete dinosaurs and other prehistoric life". It also had "two long, walkthrough display buildings containing a Corythosaurus skeleton and individual dinosaur bones", as well as exhibits of paleozoic invertebrates and prehistoric plants. It became a popular attraction among visitors to the zoo.[6]

Literature

• In 1937, Morant imagined a feathered dinosaur-like animal that lived during the Triassic and glided about on four wings. This portrayal reflected contemporary scientific speculations attempting to reconstruct the hypothetical ancestor of birds. Fossils from China later revealed the existence of just this sort of animal.[7]

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. Piton, L.; Théobald, N. (1937). "Les lignites et schistes bitumineux de Menat (Puy-de-Dôme). II: Les insectes fossiles de Menat". Revue des Sciences Naturelles d'Auvergne. 3 (2): 76–88.
3. Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Retrieved 2008-08-07.
4. Riabinin, A.N. 1937. A new finding of dinosaurs in the Trans-Baikal region. Ezheg Vserossijskogo Pal. Obstcg. 11: pp. 142-144.
5. Sternberg, C.H. 1937. Classification of Thescelosaurus: A description of a new species. Proc. Geol. Soc. Amer. 1936: p. 375.
6. 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.
7. Sarjeant, W. A. S., 2001, Dinosaurs in fiction: In: Mesozoic Vertebrate Life, edited by Tanke, D. H., and Carpenter, K., Indiana University Press, p. 504-529.