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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 2001.
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Pigg & Rothwell |
Langhian (Middle Miocene) |
"Ho ho" site, Grande Ronde Basalt. |
A fern, type sp W. yakimaensis |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
sp nov |
Valid |
Stockey, Rothwell, & Falder |
Munce's Hill and Gao mine sites, Paskapoo Formation |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
sp nov |
Valid |
Pigg, Wehr, & Ickert-Bond |
A Trochodendron species |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Archaeopus lunicarina [5] |
Sp nov |
Schweitzer & Feldmann |
||||||
Brecanclawu[5] |
Gen et sp nov |
Schweitzer & Feldmann |
Twin River Group |
A possible callianassid ghost shrimp |
||||
Callianopsis? inornatus[5] |
Sp nov |
Schweitzer & Feldmann |
Twin River Group |
A callianassid ghost shrimp of uncertain generic affinity. |
||||
Ctenocheles hokoensis[5] |
Sp nov |
Schweitzer & Feldmann |
Twin River Group |
A possible ctenochelid ghost shrimp |
||||
Eucorystes platys[5] |
Sp nov |
Schweitzer & Feldmann |
A palaeocorystine frog crab. |
|||||
Glyphea micheleae[5] |
Sp nov |
Schweitzer & Feldmann |
Aldwell Formation? |
A glypheid glypheoid lobster species. |
||||
Hoploparia tshudy[5] |
Sp nov |
Schweitzer & Feldmann |
Cretaceous |
Moonshine Creek Formation |
A nephropid lobster sp. |
|||
Paguristes hokoensis[5] |
Sp nov |
Schweitzer & Feldmann |
Twin River Group |
A Diogenid hermit crab species. |
||||
Pagurus malloryi[5] |
Sp nov |
Schweitzer & Feldmann |
Oligocene |
Makah Formation |
A Diogenid hermit crab species. |
|||
Palaeastacus trisulcatus[5] |
Sp nov |
Schweitzer & Feldmann |
A erymid glypheoid lobster species. |
|||||
Palaeopentacheles? starri[5] |
Sp nov |
Schweitzer & Feldmann |
A Polychelid benthic crustacean sp. of uncertain generic affinity. |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Williams |
A Coccoidea scale insect |
|||||
Gen et 4 sp nov |
valid |
Andersen |
An ithionid giant lacewing |
|||||
Gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Szwedo & Stroiński |
Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valid |
|
Early Devonian |
The type species is Achoania jarvikii. |
||||
Valid |
|
Early Devonian |
A new genus for "Speonesydrion" lehmanni. |
Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valid |
|
Late Jurassic |
The type species is Mesophryne beipiaoensis. |
||||
Valid |
|
Upper Cretaceous |
The type species is Nezpercius dodsoni. | ||||
Valid |
|
Late Jurassic |
Zhangjiakou Formation |
The type species is Sinerpeton fengshanensis. |
Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Synonymy |
|
Late Triassic |
A new genus for "Shastasaurus" neoscapularis. A junior synonymy of Callawayia Maisch & Matzke, 2000. |
Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valid |
|
Upper Jurassic |
The type species is Caribemys oxfordiensis. |
||||
Valid |
|
Early Cretaceous |
The type species is Cearachelys placidoi. | ||||
Valid |
|
Late Cretaceous |
The type species is Kurmademys kallamedensis. |
Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valid |
|
Late Triassic |
The type species is Hypuronector limnaios. |
Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valid |
|
Lower Jurassic |
The type species is Hauffiosaurus zanoni. |
Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valid |
|
Early Jurassic |
The type species is Godavarisaurus latefi. |
||||
Valid |
|
Early Jurassic |
The type species is Rebbanasaurus jani. |
Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valid |
|
Upper Triassic |
Tongchuan Formation |
The type species is Yonghesuchus sangbiensis. |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Willis |
Early Miocene |
Ringtail Site of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area |
A mekosuchinae crocodilian. It is the youngest known species of Mekosuchus from the Australian mainland. | |||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Wilson, Malkani & Gingerich |
Upper Cretaceous |
The type species is Pabwehshi pakistanensis. |
||||
Gen. et. sp. nov |
Valid |
Wu, Wu & Russell |
Lower Cretaceous |
?Nenjiang Formation |
The type species is Rugosuchus nonganensis. |
|||
Gen. et sp. nov. |
Valid |
Campos et al. |
Upper Cretaceous |
The type species is Stratiotosuchus maxhechti. |
Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[25]
Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valid taxon |
Ford |
USA ( California) |
A 20-foot-long (6.1 m) ankylosaurid. Apparently, before being fossilized, the animal's bloated carcass had floated out to sea and formed a miniature reef environment after it sank to the bottom. |
||||
Bienosaurus[27] | Valid taxon |
A primitive scelidosaurid known from scant remains. | |||||
Cedarpelta[28] | Valid taxon |
The most basal known ankylosaurid. | |||||
Citipati[29] | Valid taxon |
James M. Clark |
A relatively large oviraptorid known to brood its nests. | ||||
Draconyx[30] | Valid taxon |
Octávio Mateus |
A relative of Camptosaurus. | ||||
Eotyrannus[31] | Valid taxon |
Hutt |
A twenty-foot tyrannosauroid. | ||||
Eshanosaurus[32] | Valid taxon |
Xu Xing |
A therizinosaur, possibly the earliest known coelurosaur. | ||||
Gobisaurus[33] | Valid taxon |
Matthew K. Vickaryous |
An ankylosaurid that resembled Shamosaurus. | ||||
"Hanwulosaurus"[34] | Nomen nudum |
A thirty-foot ankylosaur. | |||||
"Heilongjiangosaurus"[35] | Nomen nudum |
Li W. |
A hadrosaur, possibly synonymous with Charonosaurus. | ||||
Hesperosaurus[36] | Valid taxon |
Kenneth Carpenter |
A stegosaurid slightly older and more primitive than Stegosaurus, although the genera may be synonymous. | ||||
Jiangshanosaurus[37] | Valid taxon |
Tang F. |
A titanosaur known only from a partial skeleton found near Lixian Village, China. | ||||
Jinzhousaurus[38] | Valid taxon |
Wang X. |
A hadrosauroid known from a nearly complete skeleton. | ||||
Khaan[29] | Valid taxon |
James M. Clark |
A fairly typical oviraptorid once misidentified as Ingenia. | ||||
"Kittysaurus" | Junior synonym of Eotyrannus |
Hargreaves |
|||||
Liaoningosaurus[39] | Valid taxon |
Xu Xing |
A bizarre ankylosaur of uncertain classification. Known from the complete specimen of a juvenile 34 cm long, it's the smallest known ankylosaur to date. | ||||
Losillasaurus[40] | Valid taxon |
Maria Lourdes Casanovas-Cladellas |
A large turiasaur known from a partial subadult skeleton. | ||||
Masiakasaurus[41] | Valid taxon |
Sampson |
Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) |
A 2-meter (about 6–7 feet) noasaurid with unusual forward-pointing teeth. | |||
Megapnosaurus[42] | Valid taxon |
Ivie |
Replacement name for Syntarsus Raath, 1969 non Fairmaire, 1869; a coelophysid theropod. | ||||
Neimongosaurus[43] | Valid taxon |
A therizinosaur about 2.3 meters in length. | |||||
Nothronychus[44] | Valid taxon |
James Kirkland Wolfe |
Late Cretaceous (Turonian) |
A therizinosaur. | |||
Paralititan[45] | Valid taxon |
J. B. Smith |
A titanosaur and of the most massive dinosaurs ever discovered, with an estimated weight of 59 tonnes (65 short tons) and length of around 26 meters (85 ft). | ||||
Planicoxa[46] | Valid taxon |
DiCroce |
An advanced iguanodontian. | ||||
Pukyongosaurus[47] | Valid taxon |
Dong Zhiming |
A titanosauriform related to Euhelopus. | ||||
Quilmesaurus[48] | Valid taxon |
A 5–6 meter (16–20 feet) theropod known from a partial leg. | |||||
Rapetosaurus[49] | Valid taxon |
Kristina Curry-Rogers |
Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) |
A 15 metres (49 ft) titanosaur. | |||
Ruehleia[50] | Valid taxon |
A prosauropod named for Hugo Ruehle von Lilienstern. | |||||
Valid non-dinosaurian taxon. |
Very similar to Archaeopteryx, which may be its senior synonym. | ||||||
Venenosaurus[52] | Valid taxon |
Tidwell |
Early Cretaceous (early Aptian) |
Cedar Mountain Formation (Poison Strip Member) |
A relatively small (probably around 10 m (33 ft) long) titanosauriform sauropod, known from an incomplete skeleton of an adult and a juvenile. Its tail vertebrae articulated in a unique fashion that may be of evolutionary significance. | ||
"Yibinosaurus"[53] | Nomen nudum |
Ouyang vide: Anonymous |
An undescribed sauropod. | ||||
Yunxianosaurus[54] | Valid taxon |
Li |
Late Cretaceous |
A titanosaur sauropod. |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov. |
Valid ? |
Hernández Carrasquilla |
Late Pleistocene |
Cave depositions |
According to Sanchez Marco (2007) it is a Nomen Dubium. |
|||
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
The type species of the new genus. |
||||||
Belgirallus minutus [57] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Richard Smith |
Early Oligocene |
A Rallidae. |
|||
Belgirallus oligocaenus [57] |
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Richard Smith |
Early Oligocene |
A Rallidae, the type species of the new genus. |
|||
Boutersemia belgica [57] |
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Richard Smith |
Early Oligocene |
A Glareolidae, the type species of the new genus. |
|||
Boutersemia parvula [57] |
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Richard Smith |
Early Oligocene |
A Glareolidae. |
|||
Calonectris krantzi [58] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Early Pliocene |
USA: |
||||
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Walter E. Boles |
Early Miocene |
An Apodidae. |
||||
Ducula lakeba [60] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Lakeba Island |
A Columbidae. |
||||
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Walter E. Boles |
Late Oligocene |
Etadunna Formation |
A Dromaiidae. |
|||
Eocolius walkeri [62] |
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
David M. Waterhouse |
Early Eocene |
UK: |
A stem Coliiformes. |
||
Eocrex tagusevae [63] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Andrei V. Panteleyev |
A Rallidae. |
||||
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
William Suárez Duque |
Cave deposits |
A Falconidae. |
||||
Fluvioviridavis platyrhamphus [65] |
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Michael Daniels |
Early Eocene |
USA: |
A Podargiformes, Fluvioviridavidae G. Mayr, 2005, the type species of the new genus. |
||
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Early Pliocene |
USA: |
A Gaviidae. |
||||
Laputavis robusta [66] |
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Early Eocene |
UK: |
A stem Apodiformes, the genus was originally named Laputa but that name was preoccupied, the type species of the new genus. |
|||
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
An Avialae Gauthier, 1985. The type species of the new genus. |
||||||
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
A flightless Columbidae. |
||||||
Phoebastria rexsularum [58] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Early Pliocene |
USA: |
A Diomedeidae. |
|||
Pica mourerae [68] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Bartomeu Seguí |
Plio-Pleistocene |
A Corvidae. |
|||
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Early Pliocene |
USA: |
A Podicipedidae, possibly a synonym of Podiceps auritus. |
||||
Pseudoseisura cursor [70] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Eduardo P. Tonni Jorge Noriega |
Early Pleistocene |
A Furnariidae. |
|||
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Bartomeu Seguí Josep Quintana Joan J. Fornos Josep A. Alcover |
Early Pliocene |
Yorktown Formation, North America |
USA: |
|||
Rallus recessus [72] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Late Pleistocene |
A flightless Rallidae. |
||||
Gen. nov et Sp. nov. |
Valid ? |
Andrei Elzanowski |
Late Jura |
Solnhofer Plattenkalk |
A new name for Archaeopteryx lithographica von Meyer, 1861, specimen No 6, the "Solnhofer specimen". |
|||
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Early Createcous |
An Ornithuromorphae Chiappe, Ji, Ji et Norell, 1999, Yanornithiformes Zhou et Zhang, 2001, Yanornithidae Zhou et Zhang, 2001. The type species of the new genus. |
|||||
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Zhang Fucheng |
An Ornithuromorphae Chiappe, Ji, Ji et Norell, 1999, Yixianornithiformes Zhou et Zhang, 2006, Yixianornithidae Zhou et Zhang, 2006. The type species of the new genus. |
Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valid |
|
Early Cretaceou |
The type species is Haopterus gracilis. |
||||
Valid |
|
Early Cretaceous |
A new genus for Ornithodesmus latidens. |
Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valid |
|
Late Permian |
Vyazniki Assemblage |
A dicynodont. Two species are described Delectosaurus arefjevi and D. berezhanensis. |
|||
Valid |
|
Late Permian |
Vyazniki Assemblage |
A dicynodont. The type species is Interpresosaurus blomi. | |||
Valid |
|
Middle Triassic |
A cynodont. The type species is Lumkuia fuzzi. | ||||
Valid |
|
Late Triassic |
Vyazniki Assemblage |
A therocephalian. The type species is Malasaurus germanus. | |||
Valid |
|
Late Triassic |
A cynodont. The type species is Mitredon cromptoni. | ||||
Valid |
|
Late Triassic |
New genus for "Thrinaxodon" brasiliensis Barberena, Bonaparte & Sá Teixeira, 1987 | ||||
Valid |
|
Late Triassic |
A cynodont. The type species is Riograndia guaibensis. |
Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valid |
|
early Eocene |
A Mioclaneid condylarth assigned to Bulbulodentata. The type species is Abdounodus hamdii. |
||||
Valid |
|
early Eocene |
A condylarth assigned to Phenacodonta, later assigned to stem-Paenungulata. [84] The type species is Ocepeia daouiensis. |