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 1966.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
+...

Arthropods edit

Newly named Insects edit

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Oligomyrmex antiqua[2] Comb nov jr synonym (Mayr, 1868) Middle Eocene Baltic amber   Europe Fossil myrmicine ant,
moved to Carebara antiqua in 2004
 
Carebara antiqua
Sphecomyrminae[3] Subfam. Gen. et sp. nov Valid Wilson & Carpenter Turonian New Jersey Amber   USA Basal most ant subfamily. One genus Sphecomyrma

Conodonts edit

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Declinognathodus[4] Gen. nov Valid David L. Dunn Pennsylvanian   USA

Anapsids edit

Newly named mesosaurs edit

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Brazilosaurus[5] Gen. et sp. Valid Shikama & Ozaki Artinskian Irati Formation   Brazil A mesosaur.

Dinosaurs edit

Newly named dinosaurs edit

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[6]

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Probactrosaurus[7] Gen et sp nov Valid Rozhdestvensky Early Cretaceous (Albian) Dashuigou Formation   China
 
Probactrosaurus

Newly named birds edit

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Arikarornis macdonaldi [8] Gen et sp nov. valid Howard Early Miocene Middle Sharps Formation   USA An Accipitrid, type species A. macdonaldi
Miortyx aldeni [8] Sp. nov. valid Howard Early Miocene Middle Sharps Formation   USA An Odontophoridae.
Diomedea milleri [9] Sp. nov. valid Howard Middle Miocene Temblor Formation   USA A Diomedeid.
Dissourodes milleri [10] Gen et sp. nov. jr synonym of Mycteria milleri Short Early Pliocene Valentine Formation   USA
Pelecanus tirarensis [11] Sp. nov. valid Miller Miocene Etadunna Formation   Australia A Pelecanidae.
Praemancalla [12] Gen et sp. nov. valid Howard Late Miocene Laguna Hills Formation   USA An Alcidae, Mancallinae, type species P. lagunensis
Speotyto megalopeza [13] Sp. nov. Jr synonym of Athene megalopeza Ford Late Pliocene Rexroad Formation   USA
Wasonaka [14] Gen et sp. nov. valid Howard Middle Pliocene Arroyo de las Barrancas Blancas   Mexico An Anatidae, Type species W. yepormerae

Other Animals edit

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Dickinsonia elongata [15]

Sp. nov Synonym of Dickinsonia costata Glaessner & Wade Ediacaran   Australia

Dickinsonia tenuis [15]

Sp. nov valid Glaessner & Wade Ediacaran   Australia   Russia
Rangea grandis Sp. nov Synonym of Charnia masoni Glaessner & Wade Ediacaran   Australia

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. ^ Ettershank, G (1966). "A generic revision of the world Myrmicinae related to Solenopsis and Pheidologeton (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". Australian Journal of Zoology. 14: 73–171. doi:10.1071/zo9660073.
  3. ^ Wilson, E. O.; Carpenter, F. M.; Brown, W. L. (1966). "The First Mesozoic Ant, with the Description of a New Subfamily" (PDF). Psyche. 74 (1): 1–19. doi:10.1155/1967/89604. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
  4. ^ New Pennsylvanian Platform Conodonts from Southwestern United States. D. L. Dunn, Journal of Paleontology, Vol. 40, No. 6 (Nov., 1966), pages 1294-1303 (Stable URL)
  5. ^ Shikama, T.; Ozaki, H. (1966). "On a Reptilian Skeleton from the Palaeozoic Formation of San Paulo, Brazil". Transactions and Proceedings of the Palaeontological Society of Japan. New Series. 64: 351–358.
  6. ^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  7. ^ Rozhdestvensky, A. K. (1966). "Novye igyanodonti ie tsentrallinoy Asii. Phillogeneticheskye y taksonomicheskye veaimoothoshenia poednich Iguanodontidae y rannich Hadrosauridae". Paleontologicheskii Zhurnal. 1966 (3): 103–116.
  8. ^ a b Howard, H. (1966). "Two fossil Birds from the Lower Miocene of South Dakota" (PDF). Museum of Natural History of Los Angeles County, Contributions in Science. 107: 1–8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-08. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  9. ^ Howard, H. (1966). "Additional Avian Records from the Miocene of Sharktooth Hill, California" (PDF). Museum of Natural History of Los Angeles County, Contributions in Science. 114: 1–11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-08. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  10. ^ Short, LL (1966). "A New Pliocene Stork from Nebraska" (PDF). Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. 149: 1–12.
  11. ^ Miller, AH (1966). "The Fossil Pelicans of Australia". Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. 14: 181–190.
  12. ^ Howard, H. (1966). "A Possible Ancestor of the Lucas Auk (Family Mancallidae) from the Tertiary of Orange County , California" (PDF). Museum of Natural History of Los Angeles County, Contributions in Science. 101: 2–8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-08. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  13. ^ Ford, NL (1966). "Fossil Owls from the Rexroad Fauna of the Upper Pliocene of Kansas" (PDF). Condor. 68 (5): 472–475. doi:10.2307/1365319. JSTOR 1365319.
  14. ^ Howard, H. (1966). "Pliocene Birds from Chihuahua, Mexico" (PDF). Museum of Natural History of Los Angeles County, Contributions in Science. 94: 1–12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-07. Retrieved 2014-12-04.
  15. ^ a b Glaessner, M.F.; Wade, M. (1966). "The late Precambrian fossils from Ediacara, South Australia" (PDF). Palaeontology. 9 (4): 599. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-09-22. Retrieved 2023-03-27.