1974 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 1974.

Archosauromorphs

Newly named birds

Dinosaurs

• Massospondylus gastroliths are documented.^[3]

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
Chubutisaurus[6]	gen et sp nov	Valid	del Corro	Albian	Cerro Barcino Formation	Argentina
Homalocephale[7]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Maryańska & Osmólska	late Cretaceous		Mongolia		Homalocephale
Labocania[8]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Molnar	Campanian	La Bocana Roja Formation	Mexico	possible tyrannosauroid	Labocania anomala
"Lufengocephalus"[9]	gen et sp nov	Junior synonym	Elzanowski & Yang (aka C.-C. Young)	Early Jurassic		China	Junior synonym of Lufengosaurus	Lufengosaurus
Prenocephale[7]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Maryańska & Osmólska	late Cretaceous		Mongolia		Prenocephale
Stokesosaurus[10]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Madsen	Late Jurassic	Morrison Formation, Utah	USA		Stokesosaurus langhami
Tylocephale[7]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Maryańska & Osmólska	late Cretaceous		Mongolia

Newly named pterosaurs

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Gallodactylus	gen et sp nov	subjective synonym	Fabre	Late Jurassic		France	subjective synonym of Cycnorhamphus	Cycnorhamphus suevicus
Herbstosaurus	gen et sp nov	Valid	Casamiquela	Tithonian	Vaca Muerta Formation	Argentina

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. ↑ Elzanowski, A. (1974). "Preliminary note on the palaeognathous bird from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia". Palaeontologia Polonica 29: 103–109. 
3. ↑ Raath (1974). Sanders, Manley, and Carpenter (2001), "Table 12.1" page 167.
4. ↑ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Retrieved 2008-08-07. 
5. ↑ Montague, Jeremy. "Dr. Montague's Database". Retrieved 2008-10-29. 
6. ↑ Corro, G. del. 1974. Un nuevo megalosaurio (Carnosaurio) del Cretacico de Chubut (Argentina). Communicaciones Mus. Argent. Ciencias Nat. "Bernardino Rivadavia" Paleontol. 1:pp. 37-44.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Maryanska, T. and H. Osmólska. 1974. Pachycephalosauria, a new suborder of ornithischian dinosaurs. Paleontol. Polinica 30: pp. 45-102.
8. ↑ Molnar, R.E. 1974. A distinctive theropod dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Baja California (Mexico). Journal of Paleontology 48 (5): pp. 1009-1017.
9. ↑ Young C.-C. 1947. On Lufengosaurus magnus (sp. nov.) and additional finds of Lufengosaurus huenei Young. Palaeontol. Sinica 12: pp. 1-53.
10. ↑ Madsen, J. H., Jr. 1974. A new theropod dinosaur from the Upper Jurassic of Utah. J. Paleontol. 48: pp. 27-31.

• Raath, M.A. (1974). Fossil vertebrate studies in Rhodesia: further evidence of gastroliths in Prosauropod dinosaurs. Arnoldia Rhodesia. 7 (5): 1-7.
• Sanders F, Manley K, Carpenter K. Gastroliths from the Lower Cretaceous sauropod Cedarosaurus weiskopfae. In: Tanke D.H, Carpenter K, editors. Mesozoic vertebrate life: new research inspired by the paleontology of Philip J. Currie. Indiana University Press; Bloomington, IN: 2001. pp. 166–180.