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1948 in paleontology

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List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
+...

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 1948.

Arthropods

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Newly named insects

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Metanephrocerus[2]

Gen nov

valid

Aczél

Priabonian

Baltic Amber

 Europe

A big-headed fly; new genus for Protonephrocerus collini

Archosauromorphs

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Newly named dinosaurs

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Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[3]

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Lukousaurus Valid taxon

Early Jurassic (Hettangian-Sinemurian)

Lower Lufeng Series

 China

May be a crocodylomorph rather than a theropod.[4]

Sinosaurus[5] Valid taxon

Early Jurassic (Hettangian-Sinemurian)

Lower Lufeng Series

 China

A dilophosaurid. (Formerly Dilophosaurus sinensis)

Sinosaurus

Pterosaurs

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New taxa

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Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes

Batrachognathus

Valid

Rjabinin

Late Jurassic (Oxfordian-Kimmeridgian)

Karabastau Svita

 Kazakhstan

An anurognathid.

Synapsids

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Non-mammalian

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Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Clelandina

Valid

Broom

Late Permian

Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone
Dicynodon Assemblage Zone
Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone

 South Africa

A gorgonopsid.

Digalodon

Valid

Broom and Robinson

Late Permian

Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone

 South Africa
 Zambia

For a time considered a junior synonym, its validity was reinstated in 2015.

Koupia

Valid

Boonstra

Middle Permian

Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone

 South Africa

A dicynodont.

Pardocephalus

Junior synonym

Broom

Late Permian

Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone

 South Africa

A junior synonym of the gorgonopsid Aelurognathus

Robertia

Valid

Boonstra

Middle Permian

Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone

 South Africa

A pylaecephalid. Like Diictodon, it was also a burrower.

Robertia

Smilesaurus

Valid

Broom

Late Permian

Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone

 South Africa

A junior synonym of the gorgonopsid Aelurognathus.

Tetracynodon

Valid

Broom and Robinson

Late Permian-Early Triassic

Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone
Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone

 South Africa

A lycideopid therocephalian.

References

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  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. ^ Kehlmaier, C; Dierick, M; Skevington, JH (2014). "Micro-CT studies of amber inclusions reveal internal genitalic features of big-headed flies, enabling a systematic placement of Metanephrocerus Aczel, 1948 (Insecta: Diptera: Pipunculidae)". Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny. 72 (1): 23–36.
  3. ^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  4. ^ R. B. Irmis. 2004. First report of Megapnosaurus (Theropoda: Coelophysoidea) from China. PaleoBios 24(3):11-18
  5. ^ Young C.-C. 1948. On two new saurischians from Lufeng, Yunnan. Bull. Geol. Soc. China 28: pp. 75-90.