1972 in paleontology
Paleontology or palaeontology 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 humans have 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 or were published in the year 1972.
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Bryophytes
    
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
 Muscites eocenicus[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 jr synonym  | 
 Kuc  | 
 A bartramiaceous moss  | 
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Mollusca
    
    Bivalves
    
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
 Gen. et sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Babin & Melou  | 
 New genus for Nucula ponderata.  | 
|||||
Archosauromorphs
    
    Newly named archosauromorphs
    
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
 Gen. et sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Dutuit  | 
Argana Formation | A herbivorous archosauromorph. | ||||
Newly named pseudosuchians
    
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gracilisuchus[6] | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Romer | Late Triassic (Carnian) | Chañares Formation | |||
Newly named dinosauriforms
    
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewisuchus[7] | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Romer | Late Triassic (Carnian) | Chañares Formation | A silesaurid. | ||
Newly named dinosaurs
    
Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[8]
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archaeornithomimus[9] | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Russell | Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) | Iren Dabasu Formation | An ornithomimid. | ||
| Dromiceiomimus[9] | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Russell | Maastrichtian | Horseshoe Canyon Formation | An ornithomimid, possibly a synonym of Ornithomimus. | ||
| Gallimimus[10] | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Osmólska, Roniewicz Barsbold | Late Cretaceous (Maastichtian) | Nemegt Formation | An ornithomimid. | ||
| "Thotobolosaurus"[11] | Nomen nudum | Ellenberger | Late Triassic (Norian) | Formally named Kholumolumo in 2020. | ||||
| Vulcanodon[12] | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Raath | Early Jurassic (Sinemurian-Pliensbachian) | Batoka Formation | A sauropod. | ||
Newly named birds
    
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
 Anserobranta tarabukini [13]  | 
 Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 I. M. Ganya  | 
 An Anatidae, this is the type species of the new genus.  | 
||||
| 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Waititaran  | 
 A Spheniscidae.  | 
|||||
| 
 Apus submelba [15]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Dénes Jánossy  | 
 MQ 2A  | 
 An Apodidae.  | 
|||
| 
 Ardeagrandis arborea [13]  | 
 Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 I. M. Ganya  | 
 An Ardeidae.  | 
||||
| 
 Eostrix martinellii [16]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Larry D. Martin  | 
 
  | 
 A Strigiformes, Protostrigidae Wetmore, 1933.  | 
|||
| 
 Mergus connectens [15]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Dénes Jánossy  | 
 MQ 1b  | 
 An Anatidae.  | 
|||
| 
 Miocitta galbreathi [17]  | 
 Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Kenmesaw Local Fauna  | 
 
  | 
 A Corvidae, this is the type species of the new genus.  | 
|||
| 
 Otis kalmani [15]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Dénes Jánossy  | 
 MQ 1a  | 
 An Otididae.  | 
|||
| 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Synonym of Paraptenodytes robustus (Ameghino, 1895).  | 
 Patagonian Formation  | 
 A Spheniscidae, placed in synonymy with Paraptenodytes robustus (Ameghino, 1895) by Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche, 2005,[19] but Sara Bertelli, Norberto P. Giannini & Daniel T. Ksepka, 2006 disagree with her and say it needs another genus.[20]  | 
|||||
| 
 Phalacrocorax lautus [13]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 I. M. Ganya  | 
|||||
| 
 Probalearica moldavica [13]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 I. M. Ganya  | 
 A Gruidae, transferred to the genus Grus by Jíří Mlíkovský, 2002.[21]  | 
||||
| 
 Protocitta ajax [17]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 
  | 
 A Corvidae, sometimes placed in the genus Calocitta G. R. Gray, 1841.  | 
||||
| 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Waititaran  | 
 A Spheniscidae.  | 
|||||
| 
 Rustaviornis georgicus [22]  | 
 Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Nikolay I. Burchak-Abramovich G. K. Meladze  | 
 Sarmantian  | 
 Hipparion Fauna  | 
 A Phasianidae, this is the type species of the new genus.  | 
||
| 
 Strix collongensis [23]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Peter Ballmann  | 
 Mn 5  | 
 A Strigidae, transferred to and made the type species of the new genus Alasio by Jirí Mlíkovský, 1998.[24]  | 
|||
| 
 Surnia capeki [25]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Dénes Jánossy  | 
 MQ 1b  | 
 A Strigidae.  | 
|||
| 
 Tertiariaporphyrula lungi [13]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 I. M. Ganya  | 
 MN 9-11  | 
 A Rallidae, transferred to the genus Palaeoaramides Lambrecht, 1933 by Storrs L. Olson, 1977.[26] Subsequently, made the type species of a separate genus Mioporphyrula by Zelenkov (2015).[27]  | 
|||
| 
 Tyto noeli [28]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Cave deposits  | 
 A Tytonidae.  | 
||||
| 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Cave deposits  | 
 A Tytonidae.  | 
|||||
Synapsids
    
    Newly named therapsids
    
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regisaurus[30] | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Mendrez | Early Triassic | A regisaurid therocephalian. | |||
Other Animals
    
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sp. nov | Synonym of Dickinsonia tenuis | Wade | Ediacaran | |||||
| 
 Dickinsonia lissa [31]  | 
Sp. nov | Synonym of Dickinsonia tenuis | Wade | Ediacaran | ||||
| Rangea sibirica | Sp. nov | Synonym of Charnia masoni | Sokolov | Ediacaran | ||||
References
    
- 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.
 - Kuc, M. (1972). "Muscites eocenicus sp. nov.—a fossil moss from the Allenby Formation (middle Eocene), British Columbia". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 9 (5): 600–602. doi:10.1139/e72-049.
 - Miller, N. G. (1980). "Fossil mosses of North America and their significance". The Mosses of North America. pp. 9–36.
 - Sánchez, T.M. (1999). "New Late Ordovician (Early Caradoc) Bivalves from the Sierra de Villicum (Argentine Precordillera)". Journal of Paleontology. 73 (1): 66–76. doi:10.1017/S0022336000027554. JSTOR 1306745. S2CID 133414164.
 - 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.
 - Romer, A.S. (1972). "The Chañares (Argentina) Triassic reptile fauna. An early ornithosuchid pseudosuchian, Gracilisuchus stipanicicorum, gen. et sp. nov". Breviora. 389: 1–24.
 - 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.
 - Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
 - Russell, D.A. 1972. Ostrich dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Western Canada. Can. J. Earth Sci. 9: pp. 375-402.
 - 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.
 - 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.
 - 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.
 - Evgeny N. Kurochkin & I. M. Ganya (1972). "[Birds of the Middle Sarmatian of Moldavia.]". Pozvonochnye Neogena I Plestocena Moldavii. Kishinev: Shtiintsa: 45–70.
 - George G. Simpson (1972). "Pliocene Penguins from North Canterburry, New Zealand". Records of the Canterburry Museum. 9: 159–182.
 - Dénes Jánossy (1972). "Die Mittelpleistozäne Vogelfauna der Stránská Skála". Anthropos, Studia Musei Moraviae, Brno. New Series. 20: 35–64.
 - Larry D. Martin & Craig C. Black (1972). "A New Owl from the Eocene of Wyoming" (PDF). Auk. 89 (4): 887–888. doi:10.2307/4084122. JSTOR 4084122.
 - Pierce Brodkorb (1972). "Neogene Fossil Jays from the Great Plains" (PDF). Condor. 74 (3): 347–349. doi:10.2307/1366596. JSTOR 1366596.
 - George G. Simpson (1972). "Conspectus of Patagonian Fossil Penguins" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (2488): 1–37.
 - Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche (2005). "Systematic revision of Arthrodytes Ameghino, 1905 (Aves, Spheniscidae) and its assignment to the Paraptenodytinae". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte. 2005 (7): 404–414. doi:10.1127/njgpm/2005/2005/404.
 - Sara Bertelli, Norberto P. Giannini & Daniel T. Ksepka (2006). "Redescription and Phylogenetic Position of the Early Miocene Penguin Paraptenodytes antarcticus from Patagonia" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (3525): 1–36. doi:10.1206/0003-0082(2006)3525[1:rappot]2.0.co;2. S2CID 83891292.
 - Jíří Mlíkovský (2002). "Cenozoic Birds of the World Part 1: Europe" (PDF). Praha Ninox Press. 2002: 1–407. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
 - Nikolay I. Burchak-Abramovich & G. K. Meladze (1972). "Rustaviornis georgicus gen. et sp. n., a New Fossil Bird from the Hipparion Fauna of Georgia". Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia. 17: 373–388.
 - Peter Ballmann (1972). "Les Oiseaux Miocènes de Vieux-Collonges" (PDF). Documents des Laboratoires de Géologie de la Faculté des Sciences de Lyon. 50: 93–101.
 - Jirí Mlíkovský (1998). "Two New Owls (Aves: Strigidae) from the Early Miocene of the Czech Republic, with Comments on the Fossil History of the Subfamily Striginae" (PDF). Buteo. 10: 5–21.
 - Dénes Jánossy (1972). "Die Mittelpleistozäne Vogelfauna der Stránská Skála" (PDF). Anthropos, Studia Musei Moraviae, Brno. New Series. 20: 35–64.
 - Storrs L. Olson (1977). "A Synopsis of the Fossil Rallidae" (PDF). In: Rails of the World: A Monograph of the Family Rallidae by S.D. Ripley: 509–525.
 - Nikita V. Zelenkov and Evgeny N. Kurochkin (2015). "КЛАСС AVES". In E.N. Kurochkin; A.V. Lopatin; N.V. Zelenkov (eds.). Ископаемые позвоночные России и сопредельных стран. Ископаемые рептилии и птицы. Часть 3 / Fossil vertebrates of Russia and adjacent countries. Fossil Reptiles and Birds. Part 3. GEOS. pp. 86–290. ISBN 978-5-89118-699-6.
 - Oscar Arredondo (1972). "Nueva Especie de Ave Fósil (Strigiformes: Tytonidae) del Pleistoceno Superior de Cuba" (PDF). Boletin de la Sociedad Venezolana Ciencias Naturales. 29: 415–431.
 - Oscar Arredondo (1972). "Especie Nueva de Lechuza Gigante (Strigiformes: Tytonidae) del Pleistoceno Cubano" (PDF). Boletin de la Sociedad Venezolana Ciencias Naturales. 30: 129–140.
 - 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.
 - Wade, M. (1972). "Dickinsonia: Polychaete worms from the late Precambrian Ediacara fauna, South Australia". Mem. Queensl. Mus. 16 (2): 171–190.
 



