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 1996.
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Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
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Valid |
Berglund & Goedert |
Early Miocene |
USA ( Washington) |
A crab |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
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Allopetalia europaea[3] |
Sp nov |
Jr synonym |
Nel, Arillo, & Martínez-Delclòs |
An Aeshnid dragonfly. |
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Gen et sp. nov |
Valid |
Dlussky |
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Cerdanyagrion[3] |
Gen et sp nov |
valid |
Nel, Arillo, & Martínez-Delclòs |
A Megapodagrionid damselfly |
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Gen et sp. nov |
Valid |
Dlussky |
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Somatochlora brisaci[3] |
Sp nov |
Valid |
Nel, Arillo, & Martínez-Delclòs |
Montagne d'Andance |
A Corduliid dragonfly |
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Sympetrum cantalensis |
Sp nov |
Valid |
Nel, Arillo, & Martínez-Delclòs |
A Libellulid dragonfly |
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Vulcagrion[3] |
Gen et comb et 2 sp nov |
valid |
Nel, Arillo, & Martínez-Delclòs |
A Megapodagrionid damselfly, three species |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
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Sp nov |
Valid |
Ivanov & Ginter |
Kalinovskie Vyselki Quarry |
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Sp nov |
Valid |
Duffin et. al. |
Itaituba Formation |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
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Gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Maryańska & Shishkin |
Middle Triassic |
A cyclotosaurid |
|
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Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[10]
Name | Status | Authors | Location | Notes | Images | |
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"Angaturama'"[11] | Junior synonym of Irritator |
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Bagaraatan[12] | Valid taxon | Mongolia | ||||
Deltadromeus[13] | Valid taxon |
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Egypt | ||
Gasparinisaura[14] | Valid taxon |
|
Argentina | |||
Irritator[15] | Valid taxon |
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Brazil | ||
Ligabueino[16] | Valid taxon | Argentina | ||||
"Jensenosaurus"[17] | Junior synonym of Supersaurus |
George Olshevsky vide:
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"Luanpingosaurus" | Junior synonym of Psittacosaurus |
Cheng Zhengwu vide:
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"Magulodon"[18] | Nomen nudum |
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Neovenator[19] | Valid taxon |
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UK | ||
Parvicursor[20] | Valid taxon |
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Mongolia | ||
Patagonykus[21] | Valid taxon |
|
Argentina | |||
Pawpawsaurus[22] | Valid taxon |
|
USA
( Texas) |
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Pellegrinisaurus[23] | Valid taxon |
|
Argentina | |||
Qinlingosaurus[24] | Valid taxon |
|
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China | ||
Rayososaurus[16] | Valid taxon | Argentina | ||||
Shanyangosaurus[24] | Valid taxon |
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China | ||
Siamotyrannus[25] | Valid taxon |
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Thailand | ||
Sigilmassasaurus[26] | Valid taxon | Morocco | ||||
Sinosauropteryx[27] | Valid taxon |
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China |
Name | Novelt | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anas ganii [28] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Nikolay I. Burchak-Abramovich K. L. Sushpanov A. L. David |
Late Early Pleistocene |
An Anatidae. |
|||
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Pierre Jouventin |
An Anatidae. |
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Anhinga fraileyi [30] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Kenneth E. Campbell, jr. |
Late Miocene |
An Anhingidae. |
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"Branta" minor [31] |
Valid |
Eugen Kessler Erika Gal |
Late Miocene |
MN 9 |
An Aves Incertae Sedis, it is not an Anatidae. | |||
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Yoshikazu Hasegawa |
Late Oligocene |
Ainoshima Formation |
A Pelecaniformes, Plotopteridae Howard, 1969, this is the type species of the new genus. |
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Copepteryx titan [32] |
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Yoshikazu Hasegawa |
Late Oligocene |
Ainoshima Formation |
A Pelecaniformes, Plotopteridae Howard, 1969. |
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Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
José L. Sanz Bernardo P. Pérez-Moreno Angela D. Buscaliono José J. Moratalla Francisco Ortega Francisco J. Poyato-Ariza |
An Ornithothoraces Chiappe & Calvo, 1994, Enantiornithes. Walker, 1981, this is the type species of the new genus. |
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Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Late Campanian |
An Enantiornithes Walker, 1981, Alexornithidae Brodkorb, 1976, Gobipteryginae Elzanowski, 1974. |
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Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Eduardo P. Tonni Jorge Noriega |
Late Pliocene |
Orohué Formation |
A Psittacidae. |
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Otis bessarabicus [31] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Eugen Kessler Erika Gal |
Late Miocene |
An Otididae. |
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Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Pierre Mein |
Early Miocene |
Karingarab |
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?Tringa grigorescui [31] |
Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Eugen Kessler Erika Gal |
Middle Miocene |
A Scolopacidae, not sure it is a Tringa. |
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Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. |
Valid |
Catharine A. Forster |
An Ornithothoraces Chiappe et Calvo, 1994 . |
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Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images |
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Sp. nov |
Jr synonym |
Dashzeveg |
Moved to the genus Alagtsavbaatar in 2016[41] |
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Sp. nov |
Jr synonym |
Dashzeveg |
Deemed a junior synonym of Asiavorator gracilis in 2016[41] |