1986 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 1986.

Molluscs

Bivalves

Dinosaurs

Newly named dinosaurs

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

Name	Status	Authors		Notes	Images
Avaceratops[5]	Valid taxon	Dodson			Avaceratops Baryonyx Conchoraptor
Baryonyx[6]	Valid taxon	Alan J. Charig	Angela C. Milner
Conchoraptor[7]	Valid taxon	Rinchen Barsbold
Lapparentosaurus[8]	Valid taxon	Jose Bonaparte
Siamosaurus[9]	Valid taxon	Eric Buffetaut	Ingavat
Xenotarsosaurus[10]	Valid taxon	Martinez Gimenez	Rodriguez Bochatey

Plesiosaurs

New taxa

Pterosaurs

• Fossil jaw fragments containing multicusped teeth were found in Dockum Group rocks in western Texas.^[11] One fragment, apparently from a lower jaw, contained two teeth, each with five cusps.^[11] Another fragment, from an upper jaw, also contained several multi-cusped teeth.^[11] These finds are very similar to the pterosaur genus Eudimorphodon and may be attributable to this genus, although without better fossil remains it is impossible to be sure.^[11]

New taxa

Synapsids

Mammals

Plants

Pinophyta

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Abies milleri[12]	sp nov	Valid	Schorn & Wehr	Ypresian	Tom Thumb Tuff, Klondike Mountain Formation	USA	One of the oldest fir species	Abies milleri

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. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Elicki, O.; Gürsu, S. (2009). "First record of Pojetaia runnegari Jell, 1980 and Fordilla Barrande, 1881 from the Middle East (Taurus Mountains, Turkey) and critical review of Cambrian bivalves". Paläontologische Zeitschrift 83 (2): 267–291. doi:10.1007/s12542-009-0021-9. 
3. ↑ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Retrieved 2008-08-07. 
4. ↑ Montague, Jeremy. "Dr. Montague's Database". Retrieved 2008-10-29. 
5. ↑ Dodson, P. 1986. Avaceratops lammersi: a new ceratopsid from the Judith River Formation of Montana. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 138: pp. 305-317.
6. ↑ Charig, A.J. and A.C. Milner. 1986. Baryonyx, a remarkable new theropod dinosaur. Nature 324 (6095): pp. 359-361.
7. ↑ Barsbold, R. 1986. [Raubdinosaurier Oviraptoren]. In: Vorobyeva, E. I. (ed.). Herpetologische Untersuchungen in der Mongolischen Volksrepublik. Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. Inst. Evolyucionnoy Morfologii i Ekologil Zhivotnykh im. A. M. Severtsova, Moskva: pp.210-223.
8. ↑ Bonaparte, J.F. 1986. The early radiation and phylogenetic relationships of the Jurassic sauropod dinosaurs, based on vertebral anatomy. In: The beginnings of the age of dinosaurs (K. Padian, ed.). Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, UK: pp. 247-258.
9. ↑ Buffetaut, E. and R. Ingevat. 1986. Unusual theropod dinosaur teeth from the Upper Jurassic of Phu Wiang northeastern Thailand. Rev. Paleobiol. 5: pp. 217-220.
10. ↑ Martinez, R, O. Gimenez, J. Rodriguez, and G. Bochatey. 1985. Xenotarsosaurus bonapartei nov. gen. et sp. (Carnosauria, Abelisauridae) un nuevo Theropoda de la Formacion Bajo Barrel Chubut, Argentina. Actas IV Congreso Argentino de Paleontoloiga y Bioestratigraffa 2: pp. 23-31.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Wellnhofer, Peter (1991). "Summary of Triassic Pterosaurs." The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs. London, UK: Salamander Books Limited. p. 67. ISBN 0-86101-566-5.
12. ↑ Schorn, H.E.; Wehr, W.C. (1986). "Abies milleri, sp. nov., from the middle Eocene Klondike Mountain Formation, Republic, Ferry County, Washington.". Burke Museum Contributions in Anthropology and Natural History 1: 1–7.  Cite uses deprecated parameters (help)