1939 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 1939.

List of years in paleontology (table)
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In science 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942
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Arthropods

Newly named Arachnids

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Segestria succinei[2]	Sp nov	Valid	Berland	Early Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	A segestriid spider	Segestria succinei

Newly named insects

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Ctenobethylus succinalis[3]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Brues	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil Dolichoderine ant, type species C. succinalis jr synonym of Ctenobethylus goepperti	Ctenobethylus goepperti
Protonephrocerus collini[4]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Carpenter & Hull	Priabonian	Baltic Amber	Russia	A big-headed fly; moved to Metanephrocerus collini in 1948
Protonephrocerus florissantius[5]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Carpenter & Hull	Priabonian	Florissant Formation	USA ( Colorado)	A big-headed fly; moved to Priabona florissantius

Archosauromorpha

Newly named dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevky's dinosaur genera list.[6]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Omeisaurus	Gen et sp nov	valid	Young	Bathonian-Callovian	Shaximiao Formation	China	A sauropod	Omeisaurus

Plesiosaurs

• Plesiosaur gastroliths documented.[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. Berland, L. (1939). "Description de quelques arignées fossils". Revue Française d'Entomologie. 6: 1–9.
3. Dlussky, G. M. (1997). "Genera of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Baltic amber". Paleontological Journal. 31: 616–627.
4. Kehlmaier, C; Dierick, M; Skevington, JH (2014). "Micro-CT studies of amber inclusions reveal internal genitalic features of big-headed flies, enabling a systematic placement of Metanephrocerus Aczel, 1948 (Insecta: Diptera: Pipunculidae)". Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny. 72 (1): 23–36.
5. Archibald, SB; Kehlmaier, C; Mathewes, RW (2014). "Early Eocene big headed flies (Diptera: Pipunculidae) from the Okanagan Highlands, western North America". The Canadian Entomologist. 146 (4): 429–443. doi:10.4039/tce.2013.79.
6. Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-04.
7. Riggs (1939). Sanders, Manley, and Carpenter (2001), "Table 12.1" page 167.

• Riggs, Elmer Samuel; 1939a; A specimen of Elasmosaurus serpentinus; Geological Series of Field Museum of Natural History; VI(No. 25) pp. 385–391
• Sanders F, Manley K, Carpenter K. Gastroliths from the Lower Cretaceous sauropod Cedarosaurus weiskopfae. In: Tanke D.H, Carpenter K, editors. Mesozoic vertebrate life: new research inspired by the paleontology of Philip J. Currie. Indiana University Press; Bloomington, IN: 2001. pp. 166–180.