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Overview of the events of 2008 in paleontology From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 |
||||||
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 |
|||
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 |
USA: |
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 | Argentina |
|
|
Kharakhutulia[95] | Valid taxon | Mongolia |
|
|
Odontochelys[96] | Valid taxon | China |
|
|
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. | |||
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