1972 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 1972.

Mollusca

New bivalves

Archosauromorphs

Newly named basal archosauromorphs

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Azendohsaurus[3]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Dutuit	Late Triassic		Morocco		azendohsaurus

Newly named dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list^[4] and Dr. Jeremy Montague's dinosaur genus database.^[5]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Archaeornithomimus[6]	gen nov	Valid	Russell	Late Cretaceous	Iren Dabasu Formation	China	an ornithomimid	Archaeornithomimus asiaticus
Dromiceiomimus[6]	gen nov	valid?	Russell	Maastrichtian	Horseshoe Canyon Formation	Canada	an ornithomimid, possibly a synonym of Ornithomimus	Dromiceiomimus
Gallimimus[7]	gen et sp nov	Valid taxon	Osmólska, Roniewicz Barsbold	Late Cretaceous	Nemegt Formation	Mongolia	an ornithomimid	Gallimimus
"Thotobolosaurus"[8]		Nomen nudum.	Ellenberger	Late Triassic		Lesotho	informal name for undescribed ?prosauropod
Vulcanodon[9]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Raath	Early Jurassic		Zimbabwe	a sauropod	Vulcanodon karibaensis

Newly named onithodirans

synapsids

Newly named therapsids

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
regisaurus[11]		valid	mendrez	triassic		South Africa	a regisaurid.	Regisaurus jacobi

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. ↑ Sánchez, T.M. (1999). "New Late Ordovician (Early Caradoc) Bivalves from the Sierra de Villicum (Argentine Precordillera)". Journal of Paleontology 73 (1): 66–76. JSTOR 1306745. 
3. ↑ Dutuit, J.M. 1972. Decouverte d'un dinosaure ornthischien dans le Trias supericur de l'Atlas occidental marocain. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris D275: pp. 2841-2844.
4. ↑ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Retrieved 2008-08-07. 
5. ↑ Montague, Jeremy. "Dr. Montague's Database". Retrieved 2008-10-29. 
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Russell, D.A. 1972. Ostrich dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Western Canada. Can. J. Earth Sci. 9: pp. 375-402.
7. ↑ Osmolska, H., E. Roniewicz, and R. Barsbold. 1972. A new dinosaur Gallimimus bullatus, n. gen. n. sp. (Ornithomimidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia. Palaeontol. Polonica 27: pp. 103-143.
8. ↑ Ellenberger, P. 1972. Contribution a la classification des pistes de vertebres du Trias: les types du Stormberg d’Afrique du Sud (I). Palaeovertebrata Memories Extraord(1972): pp. 1-152.
9. ↑ Raath, M.A. 1972. Fossil vertebrate studies in Rhodesia: a new dinosaur (Reptilia: Saurischia) from near the Trias-Jurassic Boundary. Arnoldia Rhodesia. 5 (30): 1-37.
10. ↑ Romer, A.S. 1972. The Chanares (Argentina) Triassic Reptile Fauna. XIV. Lewisuchus admixtus, gen. et sp. nov., a further Thecodont from the Chanares Beds. Breviora 390: pp. 1-13.
11. ↑ C. H. Mendrez. 1972. On the skull of Regisaurus jacobi, a new genus and species of Bauriamorpha Watson and Romer 1956 (=Scaloposauria Boonstra 1953), from the Lystrosaurus-zone of South Africa.