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 1951.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
+...

Archosaurs edit

Newly named dinosaurs edit

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[2]

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Montanoceratops[3]

Valid

Charles M. Sternberg

Late Cretaceous (Edmontonian)

St. Mary River Formation

A leptoceratopsid.

 
Montanoceratops

Pachysuchus

Nomen dubium

Young

Early Jurassic (Hettangian-Sinemurian)

Lufeng Formation

A dubious basal sauropodomorph.

Synapsids edit

Non-mammalian edit

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Baurocynodon

Junior synonym

Brink

Late Permian

Dicynodon Assemblage Zone

A junior synonym of Nanictosaurus.

Gomphodontoides

Jr. synonym

Brink and Kitching

Middle Triassic

Burgersdorp Formation

A junior synonym of Diademodon.

Silphedocynodon

Junior synonym

Brink

Late Permian

Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone

A junior synonym of Procynosuchus.

Walteria

Preoccupied

Brink and Kitching

Middle Permian

Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone

  South Africa

A junior homonym of Walteria Schulze, 1885; renamed Karroowalteria Kuhn, 1938

References edit

  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. ^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  3. ^ Sternberg, C. M. 1951. Complete skeleton of Leptoceratops gracilis Brown from the Upper Edmonton member on Red Deer River, Alberta. Bull. Nail. Museum Can. 123: pp. 225-255.