1992 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 1992.

List of years in paleontology (table)
… 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 …
In science 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
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Plants

Conifers

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Pseudolarix arnoldii[2]	Sp nov.	jr synonym	Gooch	Ypresian	Allenby Formation	Canada  British Columbia	A golden larch species, first described as Pseudolarix americana in part, combined into Pseudolarix amabilis in 1995
Pseudolarix wehrii[2]	Sp nov	valid	Gooch	Eocene	Klondike Mountain Formation	USA  Washington	A golden larch, first described as Pseudolarix americana in part, also found as mummified fossils from the Buchanan Lake Formation	Pseudolarix wehrii

Arthropods

Insects

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Anonychomyrma constricta[3]	Comb nov	jr synonym	(Mayr)	Lutetian	Baltic amber	Europe	A Dolichoderin ant, jr syn of Yantaromyrmex constricta	Yantaromyrmex constricta
Anonychomyrma samlandica[3]	Comb nov	Jr synonym	(Wheeler)	Lutetian	Baltic amber	Europe	A Dolichoderin ant jr synonym of Yantaromyrmex samlandica	Yantaromyrmex samlandica
Cretomerobius[4]	Gen et sp nov.	valid	Ponomarenko	Aptian	Bon-Tsagan	Mongolia	A hemerobiid lacewing, type species, C. disjunctus
Liometopum goepperti	Comb nov	Jr synonym	(Mayr, 1868)	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil Dolichoderine ant, moved to Ctenobethylus goepperti in 1997	Ctenobethylus goepperti
Miotingis[5]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Nel	Messinian	Foufouilloux outcrop	France	A lacebug, type species M. cantalensis	Miotingis cantalensis
Neides oligocenicus[6]	Sp nov	Valid	Nel	Chattian	Niveau du gypse d'Aix Formation	France	A thread bug	Neides oligocenicus
Panfilovia adamsi[7]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Martins-Neto	Aptian	Crato Formation	Brazil	A Kalligrammatid lacewing, syn of Makarkinia adamsi
Spatalistiforma[8]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Skalski	Lutetian	Baltic amber	Europe	A moth of uncertain placement. The type species is S. submerga.	Spatalistiforma submerga
Termitaradus protera[9]	sp. nov	valid	Poinar & Doyen	Late Oligocene - Early Miocene	Mexican amber	Mexico	first fossil species of Termitaradus

Archosauromorphs

• During the 1992 field season a concerted effort was undertaken by the Royal Tyrell Museum to recover the remains of young hadrosaurs.[10] The researchers describe the acquisition that season of 43 specimens as being a success.[10] Most of the recovered fossils were of dentaries missing their teeth, bones from limbs and feet, as well as vertebral centra.[10]
• Jack Horner speculated that transitional species evolved in the uppermost part of the Two Medicine Formation during the Bearpaw Transgression. This was during a half-million year span as the transgression inundated the Judith River Formation and, later, the Two Medicine area, gradually destroying the local dinosaurs' preferred habitats.[11] Horner cited certain ceratopsid and pachycephalosaurid species as possible evidence for his hypothesis.[11]

Newly named non-avian dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[12]

Name	Status	Authors		Country	Images
Archaeornithoides	Valid taxon	Elzanowski	Peter Wellnhofer		Udanoceratops "Maleevosaurus"
Chinshakiangosaurus [13]	Valid taxon	Ye vide Dong, 1992		China		Dyslocosaurus[14]	Valid taxon	McIntosh Coombs	Dale A. Russell
Edmarka[15]	Valid taxon	Robert Bakker Kralis	Siegwarth Filla
Gigantspinosaurus[16]	Valid taxon	Ouyang
Kunmingosaurus[13]	Valid taxon	Zhao X. (as Chao S.)
"Maleevosaurus"[17]	Junior synonym of Tarbosaurus	Kenneth Carpenter
Neuquensaurus[18]	Valid taxon	Jaime Eduardo Powell
Udanoceratops[19]	Valid taxon	Sergei Kurzanov
Wakinosaurus[20]	Valid taxon	Okazaki

Newly named birds

Name	Status	Novelty	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Anneavis anneae [21]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Peter W. Houde Storrs L. Olson	Early Eocene	Late Wasatchian, Green River Formation	USA:  Wyoming	A Coliiformes, Sandcoleidae Houde et Olson, 1992, this is the typespecies of the new genus.
Archaealectrornis sibleyi [22]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Timothy M. Crowe Lester L. Short	Middle-Late Oligocene	Brule Formation	USA:  Nebraska	Described in the Gallinuloididae Lucas, 1900, but transferred to the Cracidae.
Archaeoganga pinguis [23]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Cécile Mourer-Chauviré	Eocene or Oligocene	Phosphorites du Quercy, MP 16 or 28	France	A Pteroclidae.
Balearica exigua [24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Alan Feduccia Michael R. Voorhies	Late Miocene	Ash Hollow Formatie	USA:  Nebraska	A Gruidae.
Bucephala cereti [25]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Odile Boeuf Cécile Mourer-Chauviré	Late Pliocene	MN 17	France	An Anatidae.
Cathayornis yandica [26]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Zhou Zhonghe Fan Jin Jiang Yong Zhang	Early Cretaceous	Valanginian, Jiufotang Formation	China	An Enantiornithes Walker, 1981, Cathayornithiformes Zhou, Jin et Zhang, 1992, Cathayornithidae Zhou, Jin et Zhang, 1992, this is the typespecies of the new genus.
Chascacocolius oscitans [21]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Peter W. Houde Storrs L. Olson	Early Eocene	Early Wasatchian, Willwood Formation	USA:  Wyoming	A Coliiformes, Chascacocoliidae Zelenkov et Dyke, 2008, this is the typespecies of the new genus.
Ciconia stehlini [27]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Dénes Jánossy	Late Pleistocene	MN 16	Hungary	A Ciconiidae.
Columbina prattae [28]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Jonathan J. Becker Pierce Brodkorb	Early Miocene	Fissure fillings in Early Eocene Cristal River Limestone	USA:  Florida	A Columbidae, in 2008 David W. Steadman made it the type species of his new genus Arenicolumbina.[29]
Concornis lacustris [30]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	José L. Sanz Angela D. Buscalioni	Early Cretaceous	Neocomian	Spain:  Castilla–La Mancha	An Enantiornithes Walker, 1981, Iberomesornithiformes Sanz et J. F. Bonaparte, 1992, Concornithidae Kurochkin, 1996, this is the type species of the new genus.
Foro panarium [31]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Storrs L. Olson	Late Early Eocene	Green River Formation	USA:  Wyoming	An Opisthocomiformes, Foratidae Olson, 1992.
Gallicolumba nui [32]	Valid	Sp. nov.	David W. Steadman	Holocene	Ua Huka	French Polynesia	A Columbidae.
Gastornis russelli [33]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Larry D. Martin	Late Paleocene	MP 6	France	A Gastornithidae Fürbringer, 1888.
Helonetta brodkorbi [34]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Steven D. Emslie	Late Pliocene	Blancan, Tamiami Formation	USA:  Florida	An Anatidae, this is the type species of the new genus.
Iberomesornis romerali [35]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	José L. Sanz José F. Bonaparte	Early Cretaceous	Hauterivian-Early Barremian	Spain:  Castilla–La Mancha	An Enantiornithes, Iberomesornithiformes Sanz et J. F. Bonaparte, 1992, Iberomesornithidae Sanz et J. F. Bonaparte, 1992.
Kuszholia mengi [36]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Lev A. Nessov	Early Cretaceous	Turonian-Coniacian, Bissekty Formation	Uzbekistan	An Enantiornithes Walker, 1981, this is the typespecies of the new genus.
Macranhinga paranensis [37]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Jorge I. Noriega	Late Miocene	Mesopotamiense, Ituzaingó Formation	Argentina	A big Anhingidae.
Macropygia arevarevauupa [32]	Valid	Sp. nov.	David W. Steadman	Holocene	Huahine, Society Islands	French Polynesia	A Columbidae.
Macropygia heana [32]	Valid	Sp. nov.	David W. Steadman	Holocene	Ua Huka	French Polynesia	A Columbidae.
Megalodytes morejohni [38]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Hildegarde Howard	Middle Miocene	Sharktooth Hill Bonebed	USA:  California	An Anatidae.
Messelornis nearctica [39]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Angelika Hesse	Early Eocene	Green River Formation	USA:  Wyoming	A Ralliformes, Messelornithidae Hesse, 1988.
Oxyura hulberti [34]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Steven D. Emslie	Late Pliocene	Blancan, Tamiami Formation	USA:  Florida	An Anatidae.
Palaeoglaux artophoron [40]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Dieter S. Peters	Middle Eocene	MP 11	Germany:  Hessen	A Strigiformes, Palaeoglaucidae Mourer-Chauviré, 1987.
Patagopteryx deferrariisi [41]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Herculano M. F. de Alvarenga José F. Bonaparte	Late Cretaceous	Coniacian, Rio Colorado Formation	Argentina	An Ornithuromorphae Chiappe, Ji, Ji et Norell, 1999, Patagopterygiformes Alvarenga et J. F. Bonaparte, 1992, Patagopterygidae Alvarenga et J. F. Bonaparte, 1992, this is the typespecies of the new genus.
Platanavis nana [36]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Lev A. Nessov	Late Cretaceous	Coniacian	Uzbekistan	An Ornithuromorphae Chiappe, Ji, Ji et Norell, 1999, this is the typespecies of the new genus.
Quercymegapodius brodkorbi [42]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Cécile Mourer-Chauviré	Late Eocene	Phosphorites du Quercy	France	A Craciformes Sibley, Ahlquist et Monroe, 1988, Quercymegapodiidae Mourer-Chauviré, 1992.
Quercypsitta ivani [43]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Cécile Mourer-Chauviré	Late Eocene	MP 17	France	A Psittaciformes, Quercypsittidae Mourer-Chauviré, 1992.
Quercypsitta sudrei [43]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Cécile Mourer-Chauviré	Late Eocene	MP 17	France	A Psittaciformes, Quercypsittidae Mourer-Chauviré, 1992, this is the typespecies of the new genus.
Sandcoleus copiosus [21]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Peter W. Houde Storrs L. Olson	Early Eocene	Middle Clarkforkian, Willwood Formation	USA:  Wyoming	A Coliiformes, Sandcoleidae Houde et Olson, 1992, this is the typespecies of the new genus.
Sinornis santensis [44]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Paul C. Sereno Rao Chenggang	Early Cretaceous	Valanginian	China	An Enantiornithes Walker, 1981, Cathayornithiformes Zhou, Jin et Zhang, 2006, Cathayornithidae Zhou, Jin et Zhang, 2006, this is the typespecies of the new genus.
Zhyraornis logunovi [36]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Lev A. Nessov	Early Cretaceous	Turonian-Coniacian, Bissekty Formation	Uzbekistan	An Enantiornithes Walker, 1981.

Footnotes

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. Gooch, N. L. (1992). "Two new species of Pseudolarix Gordon (Pinaceae) from the middle Eocene of the Pacific Northwest". PaleoBios. 14: 13–19.
3. Shattuck, S. O. (1992). "Review of the dolichoderine ant genus Iridomyrmex Mayr with descriptions of three new genera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". Journal of the Australian Entomological Society. 31: 13–18. doi:10.1111/j.1440-6055.1992.tb00453.x.
4. Makarkin, VN; Archibald, SB; Oswald, JD (2003). "New Early Eocene brown lacewings (Neuroptera: Hemerobiidae) from western North America". The Canadian Entomologist. 135 (5): 637–653. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.489.5852. doi:10.4039/n02-122.
5. Nel, A. (1992). "Nouveaux Tingidae fossiles du Cénozoïque de France (Heteroptera)". École Pratique des Hautes Études, Biologie et Évolution des Insectes. 5: 97–104.
6. Nel, A. (1992). "Essai de révision des Berytidae fossiles (Heteroptera, Pentatomorpha)". Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Section C. 14: 275–287.
7. Bechly, G.; Makarkin, V. N. (2016). "A new gigantic lacewing species (Insecta: Neuroptera) from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil confirms the occurrence of Kalligrammatidae in the Americas". Cretaceous Research. 58: 135–140. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2015.10.014.
8. Maria Heikkilä; John W. Brown; Joaquin Baixeras; Wolfram Mey; Mikhail V. Kozlov (2018). "Re-examining the rare and the lost: a review of fossil Tortricidae (Lepidoptera)". Zootaxa. 4394 (1): 41–60. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4394.1.2. PMID 29690381.
9. Poinar, G.; Heiss, E. (2011). "New Termitaphididae and Aradidae (Hemiptera) in Mexican and Dominican amber" (PDF). Palaeodiversity. 4: 51–62.
10. "Abstract," Tanke and Brett-Surman (2001). Page 208.
11. "Faunal Turnover, Migration, and Evolution," Trexler (2001); page 307.
12. Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Retrieved 2008-08-07.
13. Dong, Zhiming (1992). Dinosaurian faunas of China. China Ocean Press. ISBN 9783540520849.
14. McIntosh, J.S., W.P. Coombs, and D.A. Russell. 1992. A new diplodocid sauropod (Dinosauria) from Wyoming, USA. J. Vertebr. Paleontol. 12 (2): pp. 158-167.
15. Bakker, R.T., P. Galton, J. Siegwarth, and J. Filla. 1990. A new latest Jurassic vertebrate fauna, from the highest levels of the Morrison Formation at Como Bluff, Wyoming, with comments on Morrison biochronology Part IV. The dinosaurs: a new Othnielia-like hypsilophodontoid. Hunteria, 2: pp. 8-13.
16. Ouyang, H. (1992). "Discovery of Gigantspinosaurus sichanensis and its scapular spine orientation". Abstracts and Summaries for Youth Academic Symposium on New Discoveries and Ideas in Stratigraphic Paleontology (in Chinese) null: 47–49.
17. Carpenter, K. 1992. Tyrannosaurids (Dinosauria) of Asia and North America. In: Aspects of nonmarine cretaceous geology (N. Mateer and P.J. Chen, eds.). China Ocean Press, Beijing: pp.250-268.
18. Novas, F.E.; Pott, D. (2005). "New evidence on deinonychosaurian dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia". Nature. 433 (7028): 858–861. doi:10.1038/nature03285. PMID 15729340.
19. Kurzanov, S.M. 1992. Gigantskiy protoseratopsid iz verkhnengo mela Mongolii. Paleontologischeskii Zhural (1992) 3: pp. 81-93.
20. Okazaki, Y. 1992. A new genus and species of carnivorous dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Kwanmon Group, Northern Kyushu. Bulletin of the Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History 11: pp. 87-90.
21. Peter W. Houde & Storrs L. Olson (1992). "A Radiation of Coly-like Birds from the Eocene of North America (Aves: Sandcoleiformes New Order)" (PDF). in Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Pierce Brodkorb, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Series. 36: 137–160.
22. Timothy M. Crowe & Lester L. Short (1992). "A New Gallinaceous Bird From the Oligocene of Nebraska, With Comments on the Phylogenetic Position of the Gallinuloididae". in Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Pierce Brodkorb, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Series. 36: 179–185.
23. Cécile Mourer-Chauviré (1992). "Un Ganga Primitif (Aves: Columbiformes, Pteroclidae) de très Grande Taille dans le Paléogène des Phosphorites du Quercy (France)". Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Série IIA. 314: 229–235.
24. Alan Feduccia & Michael R. Voorhies (1992). "Crowned Cranes (Gruidae: Balearica) in the Miocene of Nebraska". in Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Pierce Brodkorb, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Series. 36: 239–248.
25. Odile Boeuf & Cécile Mourer-Chauviré (1992). "Les Oiseaux des Gisements d'Age Pliocène Supérieur de Chilhac, Haute Loire, France". Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Série II. 314: 1091–1096.
26. Zhou Zhonghe, Fan Jin & Jiang Yong Zhang (1992). "Preliminary Report on a Mesozoic Bird from Liaoning, China". Chinese Science Bulletin. 37: 1365–1368.
27. Dénes Jánossy (1992). "Lower Pleistocene Bird Remains from Beremend, (S-Hungary, Loc. 15. And 16.)". Aquila. 99: 9–25.
28. Jonathan J. Becker & Pierce Brodkorb (1992). "An Early Miocene Ground-dove (Aves: Columbidae) from Florida". in Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Pierce Brodkorb, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Series. 36: 189–193.
29. David W. Steadman (2008). "Doves (Columbidae) and Cuckoos (Cuculidae) from the Early Miocene of Florida" (PDF). Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History. 48 (1): 1–16.
30. José L. Sanz & Angela D. Buscalioni (1992). "A New Bird from the Early Cretaceous of Las Hoas, Spain, and the Early Radiation of Birds" (PDF). Palaeontology. 35 (4): 829–845. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-21. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
31. Storrs L. Olson (1992). "A New Family of Primitive Landbirds from the Lower Eocene Green River Formation of Wyoming" (PDF). in Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Pierce Brodkorb, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Series. 36: 127–136.
32. David W. Steadman (1992). "New Species of Gallicolumba and Macropygia (Aves: Columbidae) from Archeological Sites in Polynesia". in Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Pierce Brodkorb, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Series. 36: 329–348.
33. Larry D. Martin (1992). "The Status of the Late Paleocene Birds Gastornis and Remiornis". in Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Pierce Brodkorb, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Series. 36: 97–108.
34. Steven D. Emslie (1992). "Two New Late Blancan Avifaunas from Florida and the Extinction of Wetland Birds in the Plio-Pleistocene". in Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Pierce Brodkorb, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Series. 36: 249–269.
35. José L. Sanz & José F. Bonaparte (1992). "A New Order of Birds (Class Aves) from the Lower Cretaceous of Spain". in Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Pierce Brodkorb, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Series. 36: 38–49.
36. Lev A. Nessov (1992). "[Record of the Localities of Mesozoic and Paleogene with Avian Remains in the USSR, and the description of New Findings]". Russian Journal of Ornithology. 1: 7–50.
37. Jorge I. Noriega (1992). "Un Nuevo Genero de Anhingidae (Aves: Pelecaniformes) de la Formacion Ituzaingo (Mioceno Superior) de Argentina". Notas del Museo de la Plata, Tomo XXI, Paleontologia. 21 (109): 217–223.
38. Hildegarde Howard (1992). "New Records of Middle Miocene Anseriform Birds from Kern County, California". in Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Pierce Brodkorb, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Series. 36: 231–237.
39. Angelika Hesse (1992). "A New Species of Messelornis (Aves: Messelornithidae) from the Middle Eocene Green River Formation". in Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Pierce Brodkorb, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Series. 36: 171–178.
40. Dieter S. Peters (1992). "A New Species of Owl (Aves: Strigiformes) from the Middle Eocene Messel Oil Shale" (PDF). in Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Pierce Brodkorb, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Series. 36: 161–169.
41. Herculano M. F. de Alvarenga & José F. Bonaparte (1992). "A New Flightless Landbird from the Cretaceous of Patagonia". in Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Pierce Brodkorb, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Series. 36: 51–64.
42. Cécile Mourer-Chauviré (1992). "The Galliformes (Aves) from the Phosphorites du Quercy (France): Systematics and Biostratigraphy". in Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Pierce Brodkorb, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Series. 36: 67–96.
43. Cécile Mourer-Chauviré (1992). "Une Nouvelle Famille de Perroquets (Aves, Psittaciformes) dans L'Éocene Supérieur des Phosphorites du Quercy, France". Géobios Mémoire Spécial. 14: 169–177.
44. Paul C. Sereno & Rao Chenggang (1992). "Early Evolution of Avian Flight and Perching: New Evidence from the Lower Cretaceous of China". Science. 255 (5046): 845–848. doi:10.1126/science.255.5046.845. PMID 17756432.

References

• Tanke, D.H. and Brett-Surman, M.K. 2001. Evidence of Hatchling and Nestling-Size Hadrosaurs (Reptilia:Ornithischia) from Dinosaur Provincial Park (Dinosaur Park Formation: Campanian), Alberta, Canada. pp. 206–218. In: Mesozoic Vertebrate Life—New Research Inspired by the Paleontology of Philip J. Currie. Edited by D.H. Tanke and K. Carpenter. Indiana University Press: Bloomington. xviii + 577 pp.
• Trexler, D., 2001, Two Medicine Formation, Montana: geology and fauna: In: Mesozoic Vertebrate Life, edited by Tanke, D. H., and Carpenter, K., Indiana University Press, pp. 298–309.