1961 in paleontology

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
Art Archaeology Architecture Literature Music Philosophy Science +...

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.

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 Pachysauriscus .

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

• Paleontology portal

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. doi: 10.5962/bhl.part.19013 . S2CID   127699009.
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. hdl: 11336/49897 . S2CID   88658892.
7. Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. 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 (5): 399–402. doi:10.2307/1365299. JSTOR   1365299.