1970 in paleontology

Paleontology, palaeontology or palæontology (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 mankind has 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 in the year 1970.

Archosauromorphs

Newly named diapsids

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Longisquama[2]	fam et gen et sp nov	valid	Sharov	Middle to Late Triassic		Kyrgyzstan	possible gliding reptile	Longisquama insignis

Newly named dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list^[3] and Dr. Jeremy Montague's dinosaur genus database.^[4]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Daspletosaurus[5]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Russell	Late Cretaceous	Oldman Formation	USA	A tyrannosaurine tyrannosaurid.	Daspletosaurus
Deinocheirus[6]	fam, gen et sp nov	Valid	Osmólska & Roniewicz	late Cretaceous	Nemegt Formation	Mongolia		Deinocheirus
Dilophosaurus[7]	gen nov	Valid	Welles	Early Jurassic	Kayenta formation	USA		Dilophosaurus
"Likhoelesaurus"[8]	gen et sp nov	Nomen nudum.	Ellenberger	Late Triassic	Lower Elliot Formation	South Africa	Misidentified non-dinosaurian archosaur.
"Megadontosaurus"[9]	gen et sp nov	Nomen nudum	Brown vide: Ostrom	Early Cretaceous	Cloverly Formation	USA	Chimera of Deinonychus and Microvenator.
Microvenator[10]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Ostrom	Early Cretaceous	Cloverly Formation	USA		Microvenator celer
Sauropelta[10]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Ostrom	Early Cretaceous	Cloverly Formation	USA	a nodosaurid	Sauropelta
Staurikosaurus[11]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Colbert	Late Triassic	Santa Maria Formation	Brazil	a herrerasaurid	Staurikosaurus
Tenontosaurus[10]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Ostrom	Early Cretaceous	Cloverly Formation	USA	an ornithopod	Tenontosaurus

Newly named Pterosaurs

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Pterodaustro	gen et sp nov	Valid	Bonaparte	early Cretaceous	Lagarcito Formation	Argentina	a Ctenochasmatid pterodactyloid	Pterodaustro guinazui

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. ↑ Sharov, A.G. 1970. A peculiar reptile from the Lower Triassic of Fergana. Paleontologiceskij Zurnal 1: pp. 127-130.
3. ↑ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Retrieved 2008-08-07. 
4. ↑ Montague, Jeremy. "Dr. Montague's Database". Retrieved 2008-10-29. 
5. ↑ Russell, D.A. 1970. Tyrannosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Western Canada. National Museum of Nat. Sci., Publ. Paleontology No. 1.
6. ↑ Osmolska, H. and E. Roniewicz. 1970. Deinocheiridae, a new family of theropod dinosaurs. Palaeontol. Polonica 21: pp. 5-19.
7. ↑ Welles, S.P. 1970. Dilophosaurus (Reptilia: Saurischia), a new name for a dinosaur. J. Paleontol. 44: p. 989.
8. ↑ Ellenberger, P. 1970. Les niveaux Paleontologiques de premiere apparition des Mammiferes primordiaux ed afrique du sud et leur ichnologie, establissement de zones stratigaphiques detaillees dans le stormberg du Lesotho (Afrique du sud) (Trias superieur a Jurassique). Proceedings Papers of the 2nd Gondwana Symposium in South Africa, 1970: pp. 343-370.
9. ↑ Brown vide Ostrom, J.H. 1970. Terrestrial vertebrates as indicators of Mesozoic climates. Proc. North. Am. Paleontol. Convention D, 347-376.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Ostrom, J.H. 1970. Stratigraphy and paleontology of the Cloverly Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of the Bighorn Basin area, Wyoming and Montana. Peabody Museum Nat. History Bull. 35: pp. 1-234.
11. ↑ Colbert, E.H. 1970. A saurischian dinosaur from the Triassic of Brasil. Amer. Mus. Novitates 2405: pp. 1-39.