1973 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 1973.

Arthropods

Insects

Archosauromorphs

Newly named birds

Newly named crurotarsins

Newly named dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list^[5] and Dr. Jeremy Montague's dinosaur genus database.^[6]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Alocodon[7]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Thulborn	Middle Jurassic	Guimarota lignite	Portugal	Ornithischian of uncertain placement
Efraasia[8]	gen nov	Valid	Galton	Middle Norian	Löwenstein Formation	Germany	basal sauropodomorph
Kelmayisaurus[9]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Zhiming	Early Cretaceous	Lianmugin Formation	China	carcharodontosaurid
Phaedrolosaurus[9]	gen et sp nov	nomen dubium	Zhiming	Early Cretaceous	Lianmugin Formation	China	described from a single tooth
Phyllodon[7]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Thulborn	Middle Jurassic	Guimarota lignite	Portugal	possible Hypsilophodontid
Shantungosaurus[10]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Hu	Late Cretaceous		China	largest known ornithischian	Shantungosaurus
Trimucrodon[7]	Gen et sp nov	nomen dubium	Thulborn	Middle Jurassic	Guimarota lignite	Portugal	Ornithischian of uncertain placement
Tugulusaurus[9]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Zhiming	Early Cretaceous	Tugulu Group	China	coelurosaurian
Wuerhosaurus[9]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Zhiming	Early Cretaceous	Tugulu Group	China	one of the last stegosaurians	Wuerhosaurus

Newly named pterosaurs

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Eudimorphodon	gen et sp nov	Valid	Zambelli	Norian		Italy		Eudimorphodon ranzii
Noripterus[11]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Yang (aka C.-C. Young)	early Cretaceous	Lianmuqin Formation	China		Noripterus complicidens

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. ↑ Skalski, A.W. (1973). "Studies on the Lepidoptera from fossil resins. Part II. Epiborkhausenites obscurotrimaculatus gen. et sp. nov. (Oecophoridae) and a tineid-moth discovered in the Baltic amber". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 18 (1): 153–160. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2011. 
3. ↑ Harrison, C.J.O.; Walker, C.A. (1973). PDF fulltext "Wyleyia: a new bird humerus from the Lower Cretaceous of England.". Palaeontology 16 (4): 721–728. 
4. ↑ Seiffert, J. 1973. Upper Jurassic Lizards from Central Portugal. Contibuicao para o conhecimento da Fauna do Kimeridgiano da Mina de Lignito Guimarota (Leiria, Portugal). Servicox Geologicos de Portugal, Memoria 22 (new series): pp. 7-88.
5. ↑ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Retrieved 2008-08-07. 
6. ↑ Montague, Jeremy. "Dr. Montague's Database". Retrieved 2008-10-29. 
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Thulborn, R.A. (1973). "Teeth of ornithischian dinosaurs from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal, with a description of a hypsilophodontid (Phyllodon henkeli gen. et sp. nov.) from the Guimarota Lignite". Memória Serivoços Geológicos de Portugal (Nova Série) 22: 89–134. 
8. ↑ Galton, P.M. (1973). "On the anatomy and relationships of Efraasia diagnostica (V. Huene) n. gen., a prosauropod dinosaur (Reptilia: Saurischia) from the Upper Triassic of Germany". Palaontologische Zcitschrift 47: 229–255. 
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Dong, Z.M. 1973. Dinosaurs from Wuerho. Reports of Paleontological Expedition to Sinkiang (II), Pterosaurian Fauna from Wuerho, Sinkiang. Memories of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropolgy, Academy of Science 11: pp. 45-52.
10. ↑ Hu, C. 1973. A new hadrosaur from the Cretaceous of Chucheng. Shantung. Acta Geol. Sinica 2: pp. 179-202.
11. ↑ Young, Z. (1973). "[Pterosaurs from Wuerho]. Reports of Paleontological Expedition to Sinkiang (II): Pterosaurian Fauna from Wuerho, Sinkiang". Memoirs of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology Academia Sinica 11: 18–35.