1984 in paleontology

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Paleontology or palaeontology (from Greek: paleo, "ancient"; ontos, "being"; and logos, "knowledge") 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 1984.

Paleozoology

Arthropods

Newly named crustaceans

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Pseudarmadillo cristatus[2]	Sp nov	Valid	Schmalfuss	Burdigalian	Dominican amber	Dominican Republic	A delatorreid isopod
Pseudarmadillo tuberculatus[2]	Sp nov	Valid	Schmalfuss	Burdigalian	Dominican amber	Dominican Republic	A delatorreid isopod

Conodont paleozoology

Willi Ziegler and Charles A. Sandberg described the conodont genus Alternognathus.

Vertebrate paleozoology

Archosauromorphs

Newly named archosauromorphs

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Technosaurus[3]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Chatterjee	Norian	Bull Canyon Formation	USA	Originally described as a fabrosaurid; now Archosauriformes incertae sedis

Newly named dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.^[4]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Chuandongocoelurus[5]		Valid	He	Middle Jurassic	Lower Shaximiao Formation	China	A tetanuran theropod
Datousaurus[6]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Dong & Tang	Middle Jurassic	Lower Shaximiao Formation	China	A Mamenchisaurid sauropod	Datousaurus
Harpymimus[7]	Fam., gen et sp nov	Valid	Barsbold & Perle	Hauterivian to Barremian	Shinekhudug Formation	Mongolia	An ornithomimosaurian	Harpymimus
Kaijiangosaurus[5]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	He	Middle Jurassic	Xiashaximiao Formation	China	A tetanuran theropod
Liliensternus[8]	Gen nov	Valid	Welles	Norian	Trossingen Formation	Germany	A coelophysoid	Liliensternus
Longosaurus	Gen nov	Jr. synonym of Coelophysis.	Welles
Xuanhanosaurus[9]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Dong	Middle Jurassic	Lower Shaximiao Formation	China	A megalosauroid

Newly named birds

Name	Status	Novelty	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Anser thraceiensis [10]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Nikolay I. Burchak-Abramovich Ivan M. Nikolov	Late Miocene or Early Pliocene	MN 11-15	Bulgaria	An Anatidae.
Archaeopteryx recurva [11]	Disputed	Sp. nov.	Michael E. Howgate	Late Jura	Portlandian	Germany:  Bavaria	An Archaeopterygidae, the 5th specimen, this species becomes the type species of the new genus Jurapteryx Howgate, 1985.[12]
Bubo leakeyae [13]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Pierce Brodkorb Cécile Mourer-Chauviré	Holocene	Olduvai Gorge	Tanzania	A Strigidae.
Cursoricoccyx geraldinae [14]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Larry D. Martin Robert M. Mengel	Early Miocene	Pawnee Creek Formation	USA:  Colorado	A Cuculiformes, Neomorphidae, this is the type species of the new genus.
Cygnopterus alphonsi [15]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Jacques Cheneval	Early Miocene	MN 2a	France	An Anatidae.
Dromaius baudinianus [16]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Shane A. Parker	Holocene	Kangeroo Island	Australia:  South Australia	A Dromaiidae.
Eocypselus vincenti [17]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Colin J. O. Harrison	Early Eocene	MP 8	UK:  England	An Apodiformes, Eocypselidae Harrison, 1984, this is the type species of the new genus.
Fulmarus miocaenus [18]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Hildegarde Howard	Middle Miocene	Round Mountain Silt, Barstovian	USA:  California	A Procellariidae.
Gansus yumenensis [19]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Hou Lianhai Liu Zhicheng	Early Cretaceous	Xiagou Formation	China	An Ornithuromorphae Chiappe, Ji, Ji et Norell, 1999, Gansuiformes Hou et Liu, 1984, Gansuidae Hou et Liu, 1984, this is the type species of the new genus.
Gavia moldavica [20]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Jenö Kessler	Late Miocene; Early Pliocene	MN 9?	Romania:  Moldova;  USA:  Florida	A Gaviidae.
Kizylkumavis cretacea [21]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Lev A. Nessov	Late Cretaceous	Late Turonian-Coniacian	USSR:  Uzbekistan	An Enantiornithes Walker, 1981, Alexornithiformes, Brodkorb, 1976, Alexornithidae Brodkorb, 1976, Alexornithinae Brodkorb, 1976, this is the type species of the new genus.
Larus udabnensis [22]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Nikolay I. Burchak-Abramovich E. G. Gabashvili	Late Miocene		USSR:  Georgia	A Laridae.
Mioaegypius gui [23]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Hou LianHai	Middle Miocene	Xiacaowan Formation	China	An Accipitridae, this is the type species of the new genus.
Otus guildayi [24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Pierce Brodkorb Cécile Mourer-Chauviré	Pleistocene	Cave deposits	USA:  Maryland	A Strigidae.
Parahesperornis alexi [25]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Larry D. Martin	Late Cretaceous	Niobrara Chalk Formation	USA:  Kansas	A Hesperornithiformes Fürbringer, 1888, Hesperornithidae Marsh, 1872, this is the type species of the new genus.
Parvirallus bassetti [26]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Colin J. O. Harrison	Early Eocene	MP 8-9	UK:  England	A Rallidae.
Parvirallus gassoni [26]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Colin J. O. Harrison	Early Eocene	MP 8-9	UK:  England	A Rallidae.
Parvirallus medius [26]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Colin J. O. Harrison	Early Eocene	MP 8-9	UK:  England	A Rallidae.
Pediorallus hookeri [27]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Colin J. O. Harrison	Early Eocene	Ypresian, London Clay B MP 8-9	UK:  England	Described as a Rallidae, transferred to the genus Lithornis Owen, 1840 by Houde, 1988,[28] a Palaeognathae, Lithornithiformes Houde, 1988, Lithornithidae Houde, 1988.
Pediorallus nasi [27]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Colin J. O. Harrison	Early Eocene	Ypresian, London Clay A MP 8	UK:  England	Described as a Rallidae, transferred to the genus Lithornis Owen, 1840 by Houde, 1988,[28] a Palaeognathae, Lithornithiformes Houde, 1988, Lithornithidae Houde, 1988.
Phalacrocorax owrei [29]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Pierce Brodkorb Cécile Mourer-Chauviré	Pleistocene	Douglas Leakey Korongo	Tanzania	A Phalacrocoracidae.
Phalacrocorax serdicensis [10]	Valid ?	Sp. nov.	Nikolay I. Burchak-Abramovich Ivan M. Nikolov	Late Miocene	MN 11-13	Bulgaria	A Phalacrocoracidae, possibly a synonym of Phalacrocorax aristotelis.
Phasianus yanshansis [30]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Huang Wanpo Hou Lianhai	Holocene	Cave deposits	China	A Phasianidae.
Podiceps miocenicus [20]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Jenö Kessler	Late Miocene	MN 9	Romania:  Moldova	A Podicipedidae.
Scaniacypselus wardi [17]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Colin J. O. Harrison	Early Eocene	MP 8	Denmark	An Apodidae, this is the type species of the new genus.
Scopus xenopus [31]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Storrs L. Olson	Early Pliocene	Varswater Formation	South Africa	A Scopidae
Stintonornis mitchelli [26]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Colin J. O. Harrison	Early Eocene	MP 8-9	UK:  England	Described as a Falconidae, placed in Aves Incertae Sedis by Mlíkovský, 2002.[32]
Zhyraornis kashkarovi [21]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Lev A. Nessov	Late Cretaceous	Coniacian, Bissekty Formation	USSR:  Uzbekistan	An Enantiornithes Walker, 1981, Alexornithiformes, Brodkorb, 1976, Alexornithidae Brodkorb, 1976, Zhyraornithinae Nessov, 1984, this is the type species of the new genus.

Pterosaurs

New taxa

Name Status Authors Notes Azhdarcho Valid Nesov Brasileodactylus Valid Kellner Rhamphinion Valid Padian

References

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. Schmalfuss, H. (1984). "Two new species of the terrestrial isopod genus Pseudarmadillo from Dominican amber (Amber-Collection Stuttgart: Crustacea, Isopoda, Pseudarmadillidae)". Stuttgarter Beitrage zur Naturkunde (B). 102: 1–14.
3. Chatterjee, S (1984). "A new ornithischian dinosaur from the Triassic of North America". Naturwissenschaften. 1: 630–631. doi:10.1007/bf00377897.
4. Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Retrieved 2008-08-07.
5. He, X. 1984. The Vertebrate Fossils of Sichuan. Sichuan Scientific and Technical Publishing House, Chengdu, Sichuan: 168 pages.
6. Dong, Z. and Z. Tang. 1984. Note on the mid Jurassic sauropod (Datousaurus bashanensis gen. et sp. nov.) from Suchuan Basin, China. Vertebr. Palasiatica 22: pp. 69-75.
7. Barsbold, R. and A. Perle. 1984. [On] The first finding of primitive ornithomimosaur from the Cretaceous of the [Mongolian People's Republic]. Paleontologischeskii Zhural 2: pp. 121- 123
8. Welles, S.P. 1984. Dilophosaurus wetherilli (Dinosauria, Theropoda): osteology and comparisons. Palaeontographica 185, A: pp. 85-180.
9. Dong, Z. 1984. A new theropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Sichuan Basin. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 22: pp. 213-218.
10. Nikolay I. Burchak-Abramovich & Ivan M. Nikolov (1984). "Iskopayemmyye ptitsy Phalacrocorax serdicensis sp. n. i Anser thraceiensis sp. n. iz Bolgarii. [The fossil birds Phalacrocorax serdicensis sp. n. and Anser thraceiensis sp. n. from Bulgaria.] [in Russian, with English summ.]". Paleontologiya, Stratigrafiya i Litologiya. 19: 23–34.
11. Michael E. Howgate (1984). "The Teeth of Archaeopteryx and a Reinterpretation of the Eichstätt Specimen". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 82 (1-2): 159–175. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1984.tb00540.x.
12. Michael E. Howgate (1985). M.K. Hecht; J.H. Ostrom; G. Viohl; P. Wellnhofer, eds. "Problems of the Osteology of Archaeopteryx Is the Eichstätt Specimen a Distinct Genus?". The Beginnings of birds. Eichstätt: Freunde des Jura-Museums Eichstätt: 105–112.
13. Pierce Brodkorb & Cécile Mourer-Chauviré (1984). "Fossil Owls from Early Man Sites of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania" (PDF). Ostrich. 55 (1): 17–27. doi:10.1080/00306525.1984.9634590.
14. Larry D. Martin & Robert M. Mengel (1984). "A New Cuckoo and a Chachalaca from the Early Miocene of Colorado". Carnegie Museum of Natural History Special Publication. 9: 171–177.
15. Jacques Cheneval (1984). "The Les Oiseaux Aquataniques (Gaviiformes à Anseriformes) du Gisement Aquitanien de Saint-Gérard-Le-Puy (Allier, France). Révision Systématique". Palaeovertebrata. 14 (2): 33–115.
16. Shane A. Parker (1984). "The Extinct Kangaroo Island Emu, a Hitherto Unrecognized Species" (PDF). Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club. 104 (1): 19–22.
17. Colin J. O. Harrison (1984). "A Revision of the Fossil Swifts (Vertebrata, Aves, Suborder Apodi) with Descriptions of Three New Genera and Two New Species". Mededelingen van de Werkgroep voor Tertiaire en Kwartaire Geologie. 21 (4): 157–177.
18. Hildegarde Howard (1984). "Additional Avian Records from the Miocene of Kern County, California, with the Description of a New Species of Fulmar (Aves: Procellariidae)" (PDF). Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences. 83: 84–89.
19. Hou Lianhai & Liu Zhicheng (1984). "A New Fossil Bird from Lower Cretaceous of Gansu and Early Evolution of Birds". Scientia Sinica. 27: 1296–1302.
20. Jenö Kessler (1984). "Noi Contributii Privind Studiul Avifaunelor din Paratethys". Crisia. 14: 521–532.
21. Lev A. Nessov (1984). "Upper Cretaceous Pterosaurs and Birds from Central Asia". Paleontological Journal, USA. 18: 38–49.
22. Nikolay I. Burchak-Abramovich & E. G. Gabashvili (1984). "Fossil Gull Larus udabnensis sp. nov. in the Hypparion Fauna of Udabno". Vestnik Gosudartsvennogo Muzeya Gruzli. 33A: 3–13.
23. Hou LianHai (1984). "The Aragonian Vertebrate Fauna of Xiacaswan, Jang - 2. Aegypinae (Falconiformes, Aves)" (PDF). Vertebrata PalAsiatica. 22 (1): 14–20.
24. Pierce Brodkorb & Cécile Mourer-Chauviré (1984). Hugh H. Genowayf & Mary R. Dawson, eds. "Pleistocene Birds from Cumberland Cave, Maryland". Contributions in Quaternary Vertebrate Paleontology: A Volume in Memorial to John E. Guilday. Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Special Publication. 8: 39–43.
25. Larry D. Martin (1984). "A New Hesperornithid and the Relationships of the Mesozoic Birds". Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. 87 (3-4): 141–150. doi:10.2307/3627850.
26. Colin J. O. Harrison (1984). "Further Additions to the Fossil Birds of Sheppey: A New Falconid and Three Small Rails". Tertiary Research. 5 (4): 179–187.
27. Colin J. O. Harrison (1984). "Rail-like Cursorial Birds of the British Lower Eocene, with Descriptions of Two New Species". The London Naturalist. 63: 13–23.
28. Peter W. Houde (1984). "Paleognathous Birds from the Early Tertiary of the Northern Hemisphere". Publication of the Nuttall Ornithological Club. 22: 1–148.
29. Pierce Brodkorb & Cécile Mourer-Chauviré (1984). "A New Species of Cormorant (Aves: Phalacrocoracidae) from the Pleistocene of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania". Geobios. 17 (3): 331–337. doi:10.1016/s0016-6995(84)80098-4.
30. Huang Wanpo & Hou Lianhai (1984). "Vertebrate Fossils from Yunshui Cave, Beijing" (PDF). Vertebrata PalAsiatica. 22 (2): 117–122.
31. Storrs L. Olson (1984). "A Hammerkop from the Early Pliocene of South Africa (Aves: Scopidae)" (PDF). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 97 (4): 736–740.
32. Jíří Mlíkovský (2002). "Cenozoic Birds of the World Part 1: Europe" (PDF). Praha Ninox Press. 2002: 1–407.