1961 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 1961.

List of years in paleontology (table)
… 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 …
In science 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964
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Plants

Angiosperms

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Acer beckianum[2]	Sp nov	Valid	Prakash & Barghoorn	Langhian	Ginkgo Petrified Forest	USA  Washington	A maple, described from petrified wood
Acer palaeorufinerve[3]	sp nov	Valid	Tanai & Onoe	Miocene - Pliocene	Ningyo-toge Formation		A maple, A member of the Macrantha section.
Davisicarpum[4]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Chandler	Ypresian	London Clay	UK  England	A moon seed relative. Type species D. gibbosum

Archosauromorphs

Phytosaurs

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Rileyasuchus[5]	Gen et comb nov	Nomen dubium.	Kuhn	Rhaetian		UK  England	A dubious phytosaur, possibly a chimera; replacement name for Rileya von Huene 1902 (non Ashmead, 1888).

Pseudosuchians

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Avalonianus[5]	Gen et comb nov	Nomen dubium	Kuhn	Late Triassic (Rhaetian)		UK  England	Dubious non-dinosaurian archosaur; replacement name for Avalonia Seeley, 1898 (non Walcott, 1889).
"Dasygnathoides"[5]	Gen et comb nov	Nomen dubium?	Kuhn	Late Triassic (Carnian)	Lossiemouth Sandstone	UK  Scotland	A pseudosuchian of uncertain affinity.[6] Replacement name for Dasygnathus Huxley, 1877 (non MacLeay, 1819).

Dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[7]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
"Astrodonius"[5]	Gen et comb nov	Junior synonym	Kuhn	Early Cretaceous	Arundel Formation	USA  Maryland	Junior synonym of Astrodon.	Astrodon johnstoni
Campylodoniscus[5]	Gen et comb nov	Nomen dubium.	Kuhn	Late Cretaceous	Bajo Barreal Formation	Argentina	A possible titanosaur Replacement name for "Campylodon" von Huen 1929	Campylodoniscus
"Pachysaurops"[8]	Gen et sp nov	Junior synonym	von Huene	Late Triassic		Germany	Junior synonym of Plateosaurus.	Plateosaurus engelhardti

Birds

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Anas pullulans[9]	Sp nov.	valid	Brodkorb	Early Pliocene	Juntura Formation	USA ( Oregon)	An Anatidae.
Eremochen[9]	Gen et Sp nov.	valid	Brodkorb	Early Pliocene	Juntura Formation	USA ( Oregon)	An Anatidae, type species E. russelli.
Fulica infelix[9]	Sp. nov.	valid	Brodkorb	Early Pliocene	Juntura Formation	USA ( Oregon)	A Rallidae.
Ocyplonessa shotwelli[9]	Sp. nov.	jr synonym	Brodkorb	Late Miocene - Early Pliocene	Juntura Formation	USA ( Oregon)	An Anatidae, moved to Histrionicuslli shotwelli by Olson & Rasmussen, 2001[10]
Megapaloelodus opsigonus[9]	Sp. nov.	valid	Brodkorb	Early Pliocene	Juntura Formation	USA ( Oregon)	A Palaelodidae.
Neortyx[11]	Gen et Sp. nov.	valid	Holman	Early Pliocene	Juntura Formation	USA ( Oregon)	An Odontophoridae Type species N. peninsularis
Phalacrocorax leptopus[9]	Sp. nov.	valid	Brodkorb	Early Pliocene	Juntura Formation	USA ( Oregon)	A Phalacrocoracidae.
Puffinus mitchelli[12]	Sp. nov.	valid	Miller	Middle Miocene	Temblor Formation	USA ( California)	A Procellariidae.
Puffinus priscus[12]	Sp. nov.	valid	Miller	Middle Miocene	Temblor Formation	USA ( California)	A Procellariidae.

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. Prakash, U.; Barghoorn, E. S. (1961). "Miocene fossil woods from the Columbia Basalts of central Washington". Journal of the Arnold Arboretum. 42 (2): 165–203.
3. Wolfe, J.A.; Tanai, T. (1987). "Systematics, Phylogeny, and Distribution of Acer (maples) in the Cenozoic of Western North America". Journal of the Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University. Series 4, Geology and mineralogy. 22 (1): 1–246.
4. Manchester, S.R. (1994). "Fruits and Seeds of the Middle Eocene Nut Beds Flora, Clarno Formation, Oregon". Palaeontographica Americana. 58: 30–31.
5. Kuhn, O. 1961. Die Familien der rezenten und fossilen Amphibien und Reptilien. Meisenbach, Bamberg: 79 pages.
6. von Baczko, M; Ezcurra, Martin (2016-10-17). "Taxonomy of the archosaur Ornithosuchus: reassessing Ornithosuchus woodwardi Newton, 1894 and Dasygnathoides longidens (Huxley 1877)". Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 106 (3): 199–205. doi:10.1017/S1755691016000104.
7. Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Retrieved 2008-08-07.
8. Huene, F. von. 1961. Palaontologie und Phylogenie der Niederen Tetrapoden. Nachtrage und Erganzungen. Fischer, Jena: 58 pages.
9. Brodkorb, Pierce (1961). "Birds from the Pliocene of Juntura, Oregon". Quarterly Journal of the Florida Academy of Sciences. 24 (3): 169–184.
10. Olson, Storrs L.; Rasmussen, Pamela C. (2001). "Miocene and Pliocene Birds from the Lee Creek Mine, North Carolina". Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology. 90: 233–365.
11. Holman, J. Alan (1961). "Osteology of Living and Fossil New World Quails". Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences. 6 (2): 131–233.
12. Miller, Loye Holmes (1961). "Birds from the Miocene of Sharktooth Hill, California". Condor. 63: 399–402. doi:10.2307/1365299.