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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 2008.
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
sp nov |
Valid |
second record, and youngest, of the extinct genus Paleoleishmania |
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Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen. et sp. nov. |
Valid |
Manchester & Pigg |
Unnamed Formation, Kamloops Group |
![]() | ||||
Gen. et sp. nov. |
Valid |
Mohr, Bernardes-de-Oliveira & Taylor |
Crato Formation |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
sp nov |
Valid |
Herrera et al |
only fossil record of the genus Montrichardia |
|||||
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Herrera et al |
Two named species Petrocardium cerrejonense and Petrocardium wayuuorum |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dicranocaris[6] |
Gen et sp nov |
valid |
Briggs, Lieberman, Hendricks, Halgedahl & Jarrard |
An arachnormorph of uncertain classification. |
||||
Nettapezoura[6] |
Gen et sp nov |
valid |
Briggs, Lieberman, Hendricks, Halgedahl & Jarrard |
An arachnormorph of uncertain classification. |
||||
Palaeosiro[7] |
Gen et sp nov |
valid |
Poinar |
A stylocellid harvestman. |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cataglyphoides[9] |
Gen et sp et comb nov |
Valid |
Dlussky |
Middle Eocene |
Baltic amber |
Fossil formicine ant, two species |
![]() | |
Sp nov |
Valid |
Dlussky |
Middle Eocene |
Baltic amber |
Fossil dolichoderine ant |
![]() | ||
Gen et sp nov |
valid |
Azar & Nel |
A Megapodagrionidae damselfly |
|||||
Gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Perrichot & Nel |
A bethylid wasp |
![]() | ||||
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Li, Ren & Shih |
A bittacid |
|||||
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Perrichot et al |
A Sphecomyrminae ant, type species H. mammuthus |
![]() | ||||
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Li, Ren & Shih |
A bittacid |
|||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Poinar |
Vector for the extinct Trypanosomatidae |
![]() | ||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Jarzembowski |
||||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Jarzembowski |
||||||
Proteroscelio gravatus[16] |
Sp nov |
valid |
Johnson, Musetti & Masner |
Lebanese Amber |
A member of Platygastroidea. |
|||
Rhabdepyris gallicus[12] |
Sp nov |
Valid |
Perrichot & Nel |
A bethylid wasp |
![]() | |||
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Ren, Nel, & Prokop |
Tupo Formation |
Third Namurian age Meganeuridae griffenfly described. |
||||
Sinoprotelenomus[16] |
Nom nov |
valid |
Zhang in Johnson, Musetti & Masner |
A member of Platygastroidea; |
||||
Sp nov |
jr syn |
Perrichot et al |
Middle Cretaceous |
Charentese amber |
A stem group ant |
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Sp nov |
Valid |
Woodruff |
||||||
Sp nov |
Valid |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
gen et sp nov |
Valid taxon |
Nowlan, Rudkin, & Young |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arquatichthys[20] |
Valid |
Lu & Zhu |
Posongchong Formation |
A basal member of Dipnomorpha. The type species is A. porosus. |
||||
Donnrosenia[21] |
Valid |
Long, Choo, & Young |
Aztec Siltstone |
A basal member of Actinopterygii. Genus includes new species D. schaefferi. |
||||
Genyonemus whistleri[22] |
Valid |
Takeuchi & Huddleston |
Late Miocene |
A relative of the white croaker. |
||||
Comb nov |
valid |
(Wilson) |
A mooneye, |
![]() | ||||
Valid |
Qiao & Zhu |
Chuandong Formation |
A lungfish. |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen. et. sp. nov. |
Jr. synonym |
Grogan & Lund |
Type species is T. gracia. Genus now a junior synonym of Thrinacodus. |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen. et. sp. nov. |
Valid |
Dupret & Zhu |
A phyllolepid. |
|||||
Materpiscis[27] |
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Long, Trinajstic, Young, & Senden |
discovered with fossilized embryo. |
![]() |
Jenkins, F. A., jr, Shubin, N. H., Gatesy, S. M., and Warren, A., 2008, Gerrothorax pulcherrimus from the Upper Triassic Fleming Fjord Formation of East Greenland and a reassessment of head lifting in temnospondyl feeding: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 28, n. 4, p. 935-950.
Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beelzebufo[29] | Valid taxon | Late Cretaceous (70 mya) | Maevarano Formation |
![]() | |||
Gerobatrachus[30] | Valid taxon |
|
Early Permian (290 mya) | ||||
Oumtkoutia[31] | Valid taxon |
|
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) | Kem Kem Beds | A pipid anuran. |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Delfino, Martin & Buffetaut |
||||||
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Wilkinson, Young & Benton |
Kimmeridge Clay Formation |
A metriorhynchid crocodyliform. Originally described as a species of Dakosaurus, subsequently transferred to the separate genus Torvoneustes.[34] |
||||
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Riff & Aguilera |
Late Miocene |
|||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Barbosa, Kellner & Viana |
A dyrosaurid crocodyliform. Genus includes new species G. munizi. |
|||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Jouve et al. |
A member of Gavialoidea. Genus includes new species O. eoafricanus. |
|||||
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Peyer et al. |
||||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Parker, Stocker & Irmis |
An aetosaur Genus includes new species S. macalpini. |
|||||
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Andrade & Bertini |
A sphagesaurid crocodyliform. Originally described as a species of Sphagesaurus, but subsequently transferred to the genus Caipirasuchus.[41] |
|||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Martinelli & Pais |
Bajo de La Carpa Formation |
A baurusuchid crocodyliform. Genus includes new species W. australis. |
|
28 new dinosaur genera were erected in 2008. Data courtesy of George Olshevky's dinosaur genera list.[46]
Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valid |
|
Campanian–Maastrichtian |
The largest dromaeosaurid yet discovered in the Southern Hemisphere. |
![]() | |||
Valid |
Barremian |
|
A new genus for "Iguanodon" lakotaensis (Weishampel and Bjork, 1989). |
||||
Valid |
|
Lower Cretaceous |
Lanzhou Basin |
A basal titanosaur. |
![]() | ||
Junior synonym |
Late Cretaceous |
Objective junior synonym of Nedoceratops; possible junior synonym of Triceratops. |
|||||
Valid |
|
Barremian |
An iguanodontian. |
![]() | |||
Valid |
|
early Late Cretaceous |
Fangyang Formation |
||||
Valid |
|
Bajocian |
A megalosaurid. |
![]() | |||
Valid |
Aptian/Albian |
![]() | |||||
Valid |
|
Middle Jurassic |
Zhanghe Formation |
||||
Valid |
|
Late Jurassic |
An avialian. |
![]() | |||
Valid |
|
Late Cretaceous |
Possible junior synonym of Bagaceratops. |
||||
Valid |
|
Aptian/Albian |
An abelisaurid. |
![]() | |||
Valid |
Callovian |
A stegosaurid. |
|||||
|
Campanian |
||||||
Valid |
|
Maastrichtian |
A neovenatorid. |
![]() | |||
Valid |
|
Lower Cretaceous |
A nodosaurid ankylosaur. |
||||
Valid |
|
Campanian |
A titanosaur. |
||||
Valid |
|
Late Cretaceous |
A titanosaur. |
||||
Valid |
|
Maastrichtian |
A lambeosaurine hadrosaurid. |
||||
Valid |
|
Aptian |
A caudipterid oviraptorosaur. |
![]() | |||
Valid |
|
Aptian |
A titanosauriform. Lurasiformes. |
![]() | |||
Valid |
|
Upper Cretaceous |
A titanosaur. |
Tethyshadros | |||
Valid |
|
Maastrichtian |
A saurolophine hadrosaurid. |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aegolius martae[66] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Marco Pavia |
Early/Middle Pleistocene |
A Strigidae. |
|||
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Late Pleistocene |
An Accipitridae, this is the type species of the new genus. |
|||||
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Graham M. Wragg |
Subrecent |
A Columbidae, this is the type species of the new genus. |
||||
Calonectris wingatei[69] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Middle Pleistocene |
|||||
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
A Falconidae. |
||||||
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Li Jianjun Li Zhiheng Zhang Yuguang Bai Zhiqiang Zhang Lifu Ba Tuya |
Early Cretaceous |
Jinchuan Formation |
A Cathayornithidae Zhou, Jin et Zhang, 2006, Enantiornithes Walker, 1981. |
|||
Certhiops rummeli[72] |
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Early Miocene |
A Certhioidea, this is the type species of the new genus. |
||||
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Yuan Chongxi |
Lower Cretaceous |
Basal pygostylia, Sapeornithidae, this is the type species of the new genus. |
||||
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Paolo Arduini |
Upper Cretaceous |
An Enantiornithes Walker, 1981, Avisauridae Brett-Surman et Paul, 1985, this is the type species of the new genus. |
||||
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
A Primitive Confuciusornithidae Hou, Zhou, Gu et Zhang, 1995, this is the type species of the new genus. |
||||||
Ephippiorhynchus tchoufour[76] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Antoine Louchart Patrick Vignaud Androssa Likius |
Late Miocene |
ca 7 Ma |
A Ciconiidae. |
||
Eurotrochilus noniewiczi[77] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Zygmunt Bochenski Zbigniew Bochenski |
Early Oligocene |
Late Rupelian |
A new European species of the Trochilidae. |
||
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Anthony S. Cheke |
Subrecent |
Not seen since 1672 |
The original Foudia from Réunion. |
|||
Hokkaidornis abashiriensis[79] |
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Kazuhiko Sakurai Masaichi Kimura |
Late Oligocene |
Tokoro Formation |
A Plotopteridae Howard, 1969, this is the type species of the new genus. |
||
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Stig A. Walsh |
Early Pliocene |
Codore Formation, Middle El Jebe Member |
A Ciconiidae. |
|||
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Jorge I. Noriega Gerardo Cladera |
Late Miocene |
Puerto Madryn Formation |
A Ciconiidae. |
|||
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Alan J. D. Tennyson R. Paul Scofield |
Early-Middle Miocene |
An Anatidae, Anserinae. |
||||
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Sanne Boessenkool Jeremy J. Austin R. Paul Scofield Philip J. Seddon Jonathan M. Waters |
Late Holocene |
Subrecent |
A Spheniscidae, when it became extinct it made room for Megadyptes antipodes. |
|||
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
David W. Waterhouse Bent E. K, Lindow Nikita V. Zelenkov |
Early Eocene, |
Described in the Psittaciformes, Gerald Mayr, 2009 sees no reasons to place the species in Psittaciformes. |
||||
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Ursula B. Göhlich Marco Pavia |
A Phasianidae. |
|||||
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Cécille Mourer-Chauviré Denis Geraads |
Late Pliocene |
A Pelagornithidae Fürbringer, 1888. |
||||
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Zhang Fucheng |
An Enantiornithes Walker, 1981, this is the type species of the new genus and the type genus of the new family Pengornithidae Wang, O’Connor, Zheng, Wang, Hu et Zhou, 2014. |
|||||
Phaethusavis pelagicus[88] |
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Estelle Bourdon Mbarek Amaghzaz Baâdi Bouya |
Early Eocene |
Early Ypresian |
A Phaethontidae, this is the type species of the new genus. |
||
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Herculano M. F. de Alvarenga Guilherme R. R. Brito Rafael Migotto Alex Hubbe Elizabeth Höfling |
Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene |
A Cathartidae, this is the type species of the new genus. |
||||
Thomasococcyx philohippus[90] |
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Early Miocene |
Hemingfordian LMA |
|
A Cuculidae, this is the type species of the new genus. |
||
Tirarinetta kanunka[91] |
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Tirari Formation |
An Anatidae, this is the type species of the new genus. |
||||
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Gao Chunling Meng Qinjing Wang Xuri Cheng Xiaodong Liu Jinyuan |
Basal Aves, this is the type species of the new genus. |
|||||
Zygodactylus luberonensis[93] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Early Oligocene |
MP 23-24 |
A Zygodactylidae Brodkorb, 1971, ?Piciformes. |
Currently valid turtle genera named in 2008 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Status | Location | Authors | Images |
Condorchelys[94] | Valid taxon | ![]() |
|
|
Kharakhutulia[95] | Valid taxon | ![]() |
|
|
Odontochelys[96] | Valid taxon | ![]() |
|
![]() |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Itaboraiophis[97] |
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Rage |
Middle Paleocene |
A "booid"-grade snake of uncertain phylogenetic placement. The type species is Itaboraiophis depressus. |
|||
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Evans & Manabe |
Early Cretaceous (Valanginian to Hauterivian) |
A polyglyphanodontian lizard. The type species is Kuwajimalla kagaensis. |
||||
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Klembara |
Early Miocene |
A member of Anguimorpha, might be related to the Chinese crocodile lizard. The type species is Merkurosaurus ornatus. |
||||
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Norell, Gao, & Conrad |
near Ukhaa Tolgod |
one of the oldest monitor lizards |
||||
Paraungaliophis[97] |
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Rage |
Middle Paleocene |
A snake related to members of the genus Ungaliophis. The type species is Paraungaliophis pricei. |
|||
Paulacoutophis[97] |
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Rage |
Middle Paleocene |
A booid-grade snake of uncertain phylogenetic placement. The type species is Paulacoutophis perplexus. |
|||
sp nov |
Valid |
Schulp et al. |
A mosasaur. |
|||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Polcyn & Everhart |
Late Cretaceous (early Santonian) |
A mosasaur. |
||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Caldwell, Konishi, Obata, & Muramoto |
Third identified species for the genus Taniwhasaurus |
|||||
Tianyusaurus[104] |
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Lü et al. |
A polyglyphanodontian lizard. The type species is Tianyusaurus zhengi. |
||||
Tinosaurus indicus[105] |
Sp nov |
Valid |
Prasad & Bajpai |
Early Eocene |
Cambay Shale |
An agamid lizard, a species of Tinosaurus. |
||
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Smith & Buchy |
Late Cretaceous (early Turonian) |
A member of Mosasauroidea of uncertain phylogenetic placement. The type species is Vallecillosaurus donrobertoi. |
||||
Vastanagama[105] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Prasad & Bajpai |
Early Eocene |
Cambay Shale |
An agamid lizard. The type species is Vastanagama susani. |
|
|
Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valid |
|
A new genus for "Biarmosuchus" tagax |
|||||
Valid |
|
Upper Permian |
Newly named mammals | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
Albireo savagei[111] |
Valid |
|
Late Pliocene |
A member of Delphinoidea belonging to the family Albireonidae, a species of Albireo. | |||
Cantalera[112] |
Valid |
|
Early Cretaceous (late Hauterivian‐early Barremian) |
A multituberculate belonging to the family Pinheirodontidae. The type species is C. abadi. | |||
Valid |
|
Eocene |
A member of Protocetidae. The type species is Crenatocetus rayi. | ||||
Cynarctoides whistleri[114] |
Valid |
|
|
A member of Canidae belonging to the subfamily Borophaginae, a species of Cynarctoides. | |||
Valid |
|
Cabbage Patch beds |
|
||||
Djourabus[116] |
Valid |
|
Late Miocene |
A member of Mustelidae belonging to the subfamily Lutrinae. The type species is D. dabba. | |||
Floridameryx[117] |
Valid |
|
Late Miocene to earliest Pliocene |
|
A member of Gelocidae belonging to the subfamily Pseudoceratinae. The type species is F. floridanus; genus also includes "Pseudoceras" klausi Frick (1937). | ||
Fossendorhinus[118] |
Valid |
|
A member of Brontotheriidae; a new genus for "Telmatherium" diploconus Osborn (1895) | ||||
Valid |
|
Late Oligocene |
A member of Borhyaenidae. The type species is Fredszalaya hunteri. | ||||
Glibia namibiesis[120] |
Valid |
|
Eocene (Lutetian) |
A rodent belonging to the family Zegdoumyidae, a species of Glibia. | |||
Valid |
|
Late Miocene |
|||||
Valid |
|
Late Clarendonian to early Hemphillian |
Ash Hollow Formation |
|
A fox. The type species is Metalopex merriami. | ||
Mioheteromys crowderensis[123] |
Valid |
|
Late Hemingfordian to Barstovian |
A rodent belonging to the family Heteromyidae, a species of Mioheteromys. | |||
Namahyrax[120] |
Valid |
|
Eocene (Lutetian) |
A hyrax. The type species is Namahyrax corvus. | |||
Valid |
|
Eocene (Lutetian) |
Probably a member of the family Adapidae.[124] The type species is Namaia bogenfelsi. The generic name turned out to be preoccupied; Pickford and Uhen (2014) created a replacement name Notnamaia.[125] | ||||
Namalestes[120] |
Valid |
|
Eocene (Lutetian) |
A member of Cimolesta belonging to the family Todralestidae. The type species is Namalestes gheerbranti. | |||
Namatherium[120] |
Valid |
|
Eocene (Lutetian) |
An embrithopod. The type species is Namatherium blackcrowense. | |||
Nasamplus[118] |
Valid |
|
Late Eocene (Ulangochuian) |
A member of Brontotheriidae; a new genus for "Metatitan" progressus Granger and Gregory (1943). | |||
Pollyosbornia[118] |
Valid |
|
A member of Brontotheriidae; a new genus for "Telmatherium" altidens Osborn (1908). | ||||
Prepomonomys[120] |
Valid |
|
Eocene (Lutetian) |
A rodent belonging to the family Diamantomyidae. The type species is Prepomonomys bogenfelsi. | |||
Valid |
|
Late Oligocene |
A member of Toxodontidae, a species of Proadinotherium. | ||||
Valid |
|
Middle Miocene |
|||||
Silicamys[120] |
Valid |
|
Eocene (Lutetian) |
A rodent belonging to the family Myophiomyidae. The type species is Silicamys cingulatus. | |||
Sivaonyx beyi[116] |
Valid |
|
Late Miocene |
A member of Mustelidae belonging to the subfamily Lutrinae. | |||
Valid |
|
Miocene (Hemingfordian) |
A camelid. | ||||
Valid |
|
Early Eocene |
|||||
Wickia[118] |
Valid |
|
Sand Wash Basin |
A member of Brontotheriidae. The type species is Wickia brevirhinus. |