2010 in paleontology

Overview of the events of 2010 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 2010.

Quick Facts List of years in paleontology (table) ...
List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
In paleobotany
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
In arthropod paleontology
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
In paleoentomology
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
In paleomalacology
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
In reptile paleontology
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
In archosaur paleontology
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
In mammal paleontology
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
In paleoichthyology
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Close

Plants

Summarize
Perspective

Angiosperms

More information Name, Novelty ...
Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Cornus piggae[2]

Sp nov

Valid

Manchester, Xiang, and Xiang

Tiffanian

Sentinel Butte Formation

 USA
 North Dakota

Oldest member of Cornus subgenus Cornus.

Hymenaea allendis[3]

sp nov

Valid

Calvillo-Canadell, Cevallos-Ferriz & Rico-Arce

Late Oligocene - Early Miocene

Mexican amber

 Mexico

Second Hymenaea sp. from Mexican amber

Lagokarpos[4]

Gen et sp nov

Valid

McMurran & Manchester

Late Paleocene - Ypresian

Green River Formation
Fossil Butte Member

 USA
 Wyoming

A fruit of uncertain affinity
Also found in the Clarno Formation (Oregon) & Horsefly Shales (British Columbia)
The type species is L. lacustris

Ploufolia[5]

Gen. nov.

Valid

Sender et al.

Albian

Utrillas Formation

 Spain

Sagaria[6]

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Bravia, Barone Lumagab, & Mickle

Middle Albian

Monti Alburni, near Petina

 Italy

Solaranthus[7]

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Shaolin Zheng & Xin Wang

Middle Jurassic

Jiulongshan Formation

 China

An early flowering plant.

Xingxueanthus[8]

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Xin Wang & Shijun Wang

Middle Jurassic

Haifanggou Formation

 China

An early flowering plant.

Close

Molluscs

Newly named bivalves

More information Name, Novelty ...
Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Emiliodonta[9]

Gen. nov.

valid

Sánchez

Caradoc

Don Braulio Formation

 Argentina

Replacement name for Emiliania Sánchez, 1999 preoccupied by Emiliania Hay & Mohler, 1967

Erodona doellojuradoi[10]

Sp. nov.

valid

Pérez, Iturerría & Griffin

Late Miocene

Paraná Formation

 Argentina

An erodonid.

Polymesoda muravchiki[10]

Sp. nov.

valid

Pérez, Iturerría & Griffin

Late Miocene

Paraná Formation

 Argentina

A cyrenid.

Close

Arthropods

Fishes

Amphibians

Newly named amphibians

More information Name, Status ...
Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Deltaherpeton[11]

Valid

  • Bolt
  • Lombard

Late Viséan

A colosteid.

Fedexia[12]

Valid

Gzhelian

Casselman Formation

A trematopid genus currently among the oldest known vertebrates with a primarily terrestrial lifestyle.

Hungarobatrachus[13]

Valid

  • Szentesi
  • Venczel

Santonian

Csehbánya Formation

Advanced frog.

Madygenerpeton[14]

Valid

  • Schoch
  • Voigt
  • Buchwitz

Middle/Upper Triassic

Madygen Formation

A chroniosuchid reptiliomorph.

Pelobates fahlbuschi[15]

Valid

  • Böhme

Miocene

 Germany

A European spadefoot toad.

Close

Basal reptiles

Newly named basal reptiles

More information Name, Status ...
Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Microleter[16]

Valid

Lower Permian

 USA

A basal parareptile. The species is M. mckinzieorum.

Phonodus[17]

Valid

Induan (early Triassic)

Katberg Formation

 South Africa

The earliest known leptopleuronine procolophonid.

Reiszorhinus[18]

Valid

Lower Permian

Waggoner Ranch Formation

 USA

A basal captorhinid. The species is Reiszorhinus olsoni.

Close

Ichthyopterygians

Newly named ichthyopterygians

More information Name, Status ...
Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Arthropterygius[19]

Valid

  • Maxwell

Queen Elizabeth Islands

A new genus for "Ophthalmosaurus" chirsorum (Russell, 1993).

Athabascasaurus[20]

Valid

  • Druckenmiller
  • Maxwell

Lower Albian

Clearwater Formation

The most complete and stratigraphically oldest known ichthyosaur from the Cretaceous of North America.

Barracudasauroides[21]

Valid

  • Maisch

Middle Triassic

Guanling Formation

A new genus for "Mixosaurus" panxianensis (Jiang, Schmitz, Hao & Sun, 2006).

Mixosaurus xindianensis[22]

Valid

  • Chen
  • Cheng

Middle Triassic

Guanling Formation

Omphalosaurus merriami[21]

Valid

  • Maisch

Early Triassic

Sticky Keep Formation

A species of a possible ichthyopterygian genus Omphalosaurus.

Close

Lepidosauromorphs

Summarize
Perspective

Newly named plesiosaurs

More information Name, Status ...
Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Alexeyisaurus[23]

Valid

  • Sennikov
  • Arkhangelsky

Norian

Wilczek Formation

 Russia

A new elasmosaurid

Meyerasaurus[24]

Valid

  • Smith
  • Vincent

Lower Toarcian

Posidonia Shale

 Germany

A pliosaur, a new genus for "Plesiosaurus" victor (Fraas, 1910).

Thumb
Meyerasaurus victor
Close

Newly named basal lepidosaurs

More information Name, Status ...
Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Cargninia[25]

Valid

Carnian - Norian

Caturrita Formation

 Brazil

A basal lepidosaur.

Close

Newly named lizards

More information Name, Status ...
Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Adriosaurus skrbinensis[26]

Valid

  • Caldwell
  • Palci

Late Cenomanian

Skrbina

 Slovenia

Bavaricordylus molassicus[15]

Valid

  • Böhme

Miocene (late Karpatian)

 Germany

A cordylid, a species of Bavaricordylus.

Headonhillia[27]

Valid

  • Klembara
  • Green

Late Eocene, Ludian (Priabonian)

Bembridge Limestone Formation

 England

An anguine lizard. The species is H. parva.

Heloderma welcommei[28]

Valid

  • Herman
  • Van Den Eeckhaut

Eocene

 Belgium

An anguimorph lizard. Herman and Van Den Eeckhaut (2010) consider it to be a species of Heloderma (though the authors define the genus Heloderma more broadly than most herpetologists, and explicitly synonymize the glyptosaurine genus Placosaurus with it).[28]

Kleskunsaurus[29]

Valid

  • Nydam
  • Caldwell
  • Fanti

Upper Campanian

Wapiti Formation

 Canada

A scincomorph lizard. The species is K. grandeprairiensis.

Liushusaurus[30]

Valid

  • Evans
  • Wang

Lower Cretaceous

Yixian Formation

 China

A scincogekkonomorph lizard. The species is L. acanthocaudata.

Pedrerasaurus[31]

Valid

  • Bolet
  • Evans

Early Cretaceous (late Berriasian-early Valanginan)

Montsec's Formation (ca)

 Spain

A scincogekkonomorph lizard. The species is P. latifrontalis.

Tropidophorus bavaricus[15]

Valid

  • Böhme

Miocene (late Karpatian)

 Germany

A lygosomine skink, a species of Tropidophorus.

Varanus debiei[28]

Valid

  • Herman
  • Van Den Eeckhaut

Eocene

 Belgium

A monitor lizard.

Close

Newly named snakes

More information Name, Status ...
Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Colombophis spinosus[32]

Valid

  • Hsiou, Albino & Ferigolo

Late Miocene

Solimões Formation

 Brazil

An alethinophidian snake, a species of Colombophis.

Kelyophis[33]

Valid

  • Laduke
  • Krause
  • Scanlon
  • Kley

Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)

Maevarano Formation

 Madagascar

A nigerophiid snake

Menarana[33]

Valid

  • Laduke
  • Krause
  • Scanlon
  • Kley

Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)

Maevarano Formation

 Madagascar

A madtsoiid snake

Micronatrix[34]

Valid

  • Parmley & Hunter

Late Miocene (Clarendonian)

 United States

A natricine colubrid snake. The type species is Micronatrix juliescottae.

Sanajeh[35]

Valid

Maastrichtian

Lameta Formation

 India

A madtsoiid snake which preyed on hatchling sauropods.

Thumb
Model of Sanajeh in a titanosaur nest
Close

Turtles

Summarize
Perspective

Newly named turtles

More information Name, Status ...
Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Cerrejonemys[36]

Valid

  • Cadena
  • Bloch
  • Jaramillo

Paleocene

Cerrejón Formation

 Colombia

Chupacabrachelys[37]

Valid

  • Lehman
  • Wick

Campanian

Aguja Formation

 USA

A taphrosphyini bothremydid

Gamerabaena[38]

Valid

  • Lyson
  • Joyce

Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)

Hell Creek Formation

 USA

Itilochelys[39]

Valid

  • Danilov
  • Averianov
  • Yarkov

Danian

Beryozovaya beds

 Russia

Jiangxichelys[40]

Valid

  • Tong
  • Mo

Late Cretaceous

Ganzhou

 China

A nanhsiungchelyid turtle.

Liaochelys[41]

Valid

  • Zhou

Early Cretaceous

Jiufotang Formation

 China

A macrobaenid turtle.

Mexichelys[42]

Valid

  • Parham
  • Pyenson

Late Campanian

Cerro del Pueblo Formation

 Mexico

A sea turtle. A new genus for "Euclastes" coahuilaensis (Brinkman et al., 2009).[43]

Pacifichelys[42]

Valid

  • Parham
  • Pyenson

Miocene

 Peru
 USA

A sea turtle.

Pangshura tatrotia[44]

Valid

  • Joyce
  • Lyson

Pliocene

Tatrot Formation

 Pakistan

A species of Pangshura.

"Trionyx" kansaiensis[45]

Valid

  • Vitek & Danilov

Late Cretaceous

 Kazakhstan
 Tajikistan

A trionychid with unclear systematic position, a species of Trionyx sensu lato.

Close

Archosauromorphs

Summarize
Perspective

Newly named basal archosauromorphs

More information Name, Status ...
Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Azendohsaurus madagaskarensis[46]

Valid

Ladinian/Carnian

Makay Formation

 Madagascar

A basal archosauromorph.

Bentonyx[47]

Valid

Middle Triassic

Otter Sandstone Formation

 England

A rhynchosaur.

Koilamasuchus[48]

Valid

  • Ezcurra
  • Lecuona
  • Martinelli

Early Triassic

Quebrada de los Fósiles Formation

 Argentina

The best-known basal archosauriform from South America.

Megalancosaurus endennae[49]

Valid

Alaunian (early Norian)

Zorzino Limestone Formation

 Italy

A drepanosaurid that is known from MBSN 25, a partial skeleton (Partial postcranial skeleton).

Teyumbaita[50]

Valid

  • Montefeltro
  • Langer
  • Schultz

Late Triassic

Caturrita Formation
Ischigualasto Formation[51]

 Argentina
 Brazil

A rhynchosaur. A new genus for "Scaphonyx" sulcognathus (Azevedo & Schultz, 1987).

Uatchitodon schneideri[52]

Valid

  • Mitchell
  • Heckert
  • Sues

Late Triassic

Cumnock Formation
Bluewater Creek Formation

 USA

A venomous archosauriform known only from isolated teeth.

Vallesaurus zorzinensis[49]

Valid

Alaunian (early Norian)

Zorzino Limestone Formation

 Italy

A basal drepanosauromorph that is known from MCSNB 4783, a set of vertebrae and hindlimbs.

Close

Archosaurs

Synapsids

Newly named non-mammalian synapsids

More information Name, Status ...
Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Beishanodon[53]

Valid

Lower Triassic

Hongyanjing Formation

 China

A eucynodont. The type species is Beishanodon youngi.

Chiniquodon kalanoro[54]

Valid

Middle Triassic? (Ladinian or Carnian)

Makay Formation

 Madagascar

A cynodont.

Thumb
Chiniquodon skull

Kombuisia antarctica[55]

Valid

  • Fröbisch
  • Angiekczyk
  • Sidor

Early Triassic (Induan)

Fremouw Formation

 Antarctica

A dicynodont.

Minicynodon[25]

Valid

Carnian - Norian

Caturrita Formation

 Brazil

A brasilodontid cynodont.

Prosictodon[56]

Valid

  • Angielczyk
  • Rubidge

Middle Permian

Abrahamskraal formation

 South Africa

A pylaecephalid dicynodont. The type species is Prosictodon dubei.

Trucidocynodon[57]

Valid

  • Oliveira
  • Soares
  • Schultz

Upper Triassic

Santa Maria Formation

 Brazil

A cynodont. The type species is Trucidocynodon riograndensis.

Close

Mammals

Other animals

More information Name, Novelty ...
Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Pywackia[58]

Valid

  • Landing in Landing, English & Keppie

Late Cambrian

Tiñu Formation

 Mexico

An animal of uncertain phylogenetic placement; it might be a bryozoan[58][59] or an octocoral.[60] The type species is Pywackia baileyi.

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Footnotes

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