1988 in paleontology

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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 or were published in the year 1988.

Plants

Angiosperms

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Stonebergia[2]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Wolfe & Wehr	Ypresian	Allenby Formation	Canada	A Rosaceae genus

Arthropods

Insects

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Protopone primigena[3]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Dlussky	Middle Eocene	Sakhalin amber	Russia	A ponerine ant	Protopone primigena

Archosauromorphs

Newly named non-avian dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.^[4]

• The dubious family, Ornitholestidae is named by Gregory Scott Paul.

Name	Status	Authors		Notes	Images
Anserimimus[5]	Valid taxon	Rinchen Barsbold			Giraffatitan Orodromeus Nanotyrannus
"Cathetosaurus"[6]	Junior synonym of Camarasaurus	Jim Jensen
"Chassternbergia"[7]	Junior synonym of Edmontonia	Robert Bakker
Denversaurus[7]	Valid taxon	Robert Bakker
Giraffatitan	Valid taxon, formerly believed to be a Junior synonym of Brachiosaurus	Gregory S. Paul
"Hironosaurus"	Nomen nudum	Kunihiko Hisa
"Kagasaurus"	'Nomen nudum	Kunihiko Hisa
Kotasaurus[8]	Valid taxon	P. Yadagiri
Nanotyrannus[9]	Possible junior synonym of Tyrannosaurus.	Robert Bakker Williams	Phillip Currie
Orodromeus[10]	Valid taxon	Jack Horner	David Weishampel
"Protognathus"[11]	Later renamed Protognathosaurus by George Olshevsky	Zhang Y. H.
"Stenotholus"[12]	Junior synonym of Stygimoloch	Giffin Gabriel	Johnson

Newly named birds

Name	Status	Novelty	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Ciconia kahli [13]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Philippa J. Haarhoff	Early Pliocene	Varswater Formation	South Africa	A Ciconiidae.
Diomedea rumana [14]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Dan Grigorescu Jenö Kessler	Middle Miocene	MN 8	Romania	A Diomedeidae.
Gymnogyps kofordi [15]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Steven D. Emslie	Early Pleistocene	Irvingtonian	USA:  Florida	A Cathartidae.
Hadrogyps aigialeus [16]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Steven D. Emslie	Middle Miocene	Bastovian, Round Mountain Silt	USA:  California	A Cathartidae, this is the type species of the new genus.
Jungornis tesselatus [17]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Aleksandr A. Karkhu	Early Oligocene	Maykop Formation	USSR:  Russia	An Apodiformes, Jungornithidae Karkhu, 1988, this is the type species of the new genus.
Lithornis celetius [18]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Peter W. Houde	Late Paleocene	Early Tiffanian, Fort Union Formation	USA:  Montana	A Palaeognathae Pycraft, 1900, Lithornithiformes Houde, 1988, Lithornithidae Houde, 1988, this is the type species of the new genus.
Lithornis plebius [18]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Peter W. Houde	Early Eocene	Middle Clarkforkian, Willwood Formation	USA:  Wyoming	A Palaeognathae Pycraft, 1900, Lithornithiformes Houde, 1988, Lithornithidae Houde, 1988, this is the type species of the new genus.
Lithornis promiscuus [18]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Peter W. Houde	Early Eocene	Middle Clarkforkian, Willwood Formation	USA:  Wyoming	A Palaeognathae Pycraft, 1900, Lithornithiformes Houde, 1988, Lithornithidae Houde, 1988, this is the type species of the new genus.
Messelornis cristata [19]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Angelika Hesse	Middle Miocene	Messel pit, MP 11	Germany:  Hessen	A Ralliformes, Messelornithidae Hesse, 1988, this is the type species of the new genus.
Morus olsoni [14]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Dan Grigorescu Jenö Kessler	Middle Miocene	MN 8	Romania	A Sulidae.
Pachyplichas yaldwyni [20]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Philip R. Millener	Late Quaternary	Probably Otiran Glacial Stage	New Zealand	An Acanthisittidae, this is the type species of the new genus.
Pachyplichas jagmi [20]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Philip R. Millener	Late Quaternary	North Island	New Zealand	An Acanthisittidae.
Pachyplichas yaldwyni [20]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Philip R. Millener	Late Quaternary	Probably Otiran Glacial Stage	New Zealand	An Acanthisittidae, this is the type species of the new genus.
Phocavis maritimus [21]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	James L. Goedert	Late Eocene	Keasey Formation	USA:  Oregon	A Pelecaniformes, Plotopteridae Howard, 1969, this is the type species of the new genus.
Porphyrio paepae [22]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	David W. Steadman	Holocene	Marquesas Islands, Tahuata and Hiva Oa	French Polynesia:  Marquesas Islands	A Rallidae.
Primocolius minor [23]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Cécile Mourer-Chauviré	Late Eocene	Phosphorites du Quercy, MP 16-28	France	A Coliidae, this is the type species of the new genus.
Primocolius sigei [23]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Cécile Mourer-Chauviré	Late Eocene	Phosphorites du Quercy, MP 16-28	France	A Coliidae.
Pseudocrypturus cercanaxius [18]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Peter W. Houde	Early Eocene	Late Wasatchian, Green River Formation; London Clay A, MP 8	USA:  Wyoming;  UK:  England	A Palaeognathae Pycraft, 1900, Lithornithiformes Houde, 1988, Lithornithidae Houde, 1988, this is the type species of the new genus.
Psilopterus colzecus [24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Eduardo P. Tonni Claudia P. Tambussi	Late Miocene	Chasicoan, Arroyo Chasicó Formation	Argentina	A Gruiformes, Phorusrhacidae Ameghino, 1889, Psilopterinae Dolgopol de Saez, 1927.
Sula tasmani [25]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Gerard F. van Tets Charles W. Meredith Peter J. Fullagar Peter M. Davidson	Holocene	Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island	Australia:  New South Wales	A Sulidae, now seen as a subspecies of Sula dactylatra Lesson, 1831, Sula dactylatra fullagari O’Brien et Davies, 1991 is its junior synonym, so tasmani is the correct name.
Sylphornis bretouensis [23]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Cécile Mourer-Chauviré	Late Eocene	MP 16	France	A basal Piciformes, Sylphornithidae Mourer-Chauviré, 1988, this is the type species of the new genus.
Taubacrex granivora [26]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Herculano M. F. de Alvarenga	Late Oligocene-Early Miocene	Tremembé Formatie	Brazil	Described as a Rallidae, but transferred to the Quercymegapodiidae Mourer-Chauviré, 1992 by Mourer-Chauviré in 2000 [27]
Tshulia litorea [28]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Lev A. Nessov	Late Paleocene		USSR:  Kazakhstan	Aves Incertae Sedis, perhaps a Rallidae, this is the type species of the new genus.
Ventivorus ragei [23]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Cécile Mourer-Chauviré	Late Eocene	MP 16	France	A Caprimulgidae, this is the type species of the new genus.
Zheroia kurochkini [28]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Lev A. Nessov	Late Eocene	Bartonian	USSR:  Uzbekistan	A Graculavidae Fürbringer, 1888, A Forma Familia, Charadriiformes Incertae Sedis, this is the type species of the new genus.
Zhylgaia aestiflua [28]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Lev A. Nessov	Late Paleocene	Zhylga near Tashkent	USSR:  Kazakhstan	A Pelecaniformes, Prophaethontidae Harrison et Walker, 1976, this is the type species of the new genus.

Pterosaurs

New taxa

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Tupuxuara[29]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Kellner & Campos	Cretaceous	Santana Formation	Brazil	A Thalassodromidae pterosaur	Tupuxuara leonardii

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. Wolfe, J.A.; Wehr, W.C. (1988). "Rosaceous Chamaebatiaria-like foliage from the Paleogene of western North America". Aliso 12 (1): 177–200.
3. Dlussky, G.M.; Wedmann, S. (2012). "The poneromorph ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae: Amblyoponinae, Ectatomminae, Ponerinae) of Grube Messel, Germany: High biodiversity in the Eocene". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 10 (4): 725–753. doi:10.1080/14772019.2011.628341. – via Taylor & Francis (subscription required)
4. Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Retrieved 2008-08-07.
5. Barsbold, R. 1988. A new late Cretaceous ornithomimid of Mongolia [in Russian]. Paleontol. J. 1: pp. 122-125.
6. Jensen, J.A. 1988. A fourth new sauropod dinosaur from the Upper Jurassic of the Colorado Plateau and sauropod bipedalism. Great Basin Nat. 48 (2), pp. 121-145.
7. Bakker, R. T. 1988. Review of the late Cretaceous Nodosaurid Dinosauria, Denversaurus schlessmani, a new armor-plated dinosaur from the Latest Cretaceous of South Dakota, the Last Survivor of the Nodosaurians, with comments on Stegosaur-Nodosaur Relationships. Hunteria 1 (3), pp. 3-23.
8. Yadagiri, P. 1988. A new sauropod Kotasaurus yamanpalliensis from Lower Jurassic Kota Formation of India. Records of the Geological Survey of India 116 (3-8): pp. 102-127.
9. Bakker, R.T., M. Williams, and P. Currie. 1988. Nanotyrannus, a new genus of pygmy tyrannosaur, from the latest Cretaceous of Montana. Hunteria 1: pp. 1-30.
10. Horner, J.R. and D.B. Weishampel. 1988. A comparative embryological study of two ornithischian dinosaurs. Nature 332: pp. 256- 257.
11. Olshevsky, G. 1991. A Revision of the Parainfraclass Archosauria Cope, 1869, Excluding the Advanced Crocodylia. Mesozoic Meanderings 2 (1st printing): iv + 196 pages.
12. Giffin, E. B., D.L. Gabriel, and R.E. Johnson. 1987. A new pachycephalosaurid skull (Ornithischia) from the Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation of Montana. J. Vert. Palaeontol. 7 (4); pp. 398-407.
13. Philippa J. Haarhoff (1988). "A New Fossil Stork (Aves, Ciconiidae) from the Late Tertiary of Langebaanweg, South Africa". Annals of the South African Museum 97: 297–313.
14. Dan Grigorescu & Jenö Kessler (1988). "New Contributions to the Knowledge of the Sarmatian Birds from South Dobrogea in the Frame of the Eastern Paratethyan Avifauna". Revue Roumaine de Géologie, Géophysique et Géographie, [Série]: Géologie 32: 91–97.
15. Steven D. Emslie (1988). "The Fossil History and Phylogenetic Relationships of Condors (Ciconiiformes: Vulturidae) in the New World". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 8: 212–228. doi:10.1080/02724634.1988.10011699.
16. Steven D. Emslie (1988). "An Early Condor-like Vulture from North America" (PDF). The Auk 105 (3): 529–535.
17. Aleksandr A. Karkhu (1988). "A New Family of Swift-Like Birds from the Paleogene of Europe". Paleontological Journal 22: 77–88.
18. Peter W. Houde (1988). "Paleognathous Birds from the Early Tertiary of the Northern Hemisphere". Publication of the Nuttall Ornithological Club 22: 1–148.
19. Angelika Hesse (1988). "Die †Messelornithidae-Ein Neue Familie der Kranichartigen (Aves: Gruiformes: Rhynocheti) aus dem Tertiär Europas und Nordamerikas". Journal für Ornithologie 129 (1): 83–95. doi:10.1007/bf01641534.
20. Philip R. Millener (1988). "Contributions to New Zealand's Late Quaternary Avifauna. I: Pachyplichas, a New Genus of Wren (Aves: Acanthisittidae), with Two New Species". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 18 (4): 383–406. doi:10.1080/03036758.1988.10426464.
21. James L. Goedert (1988). "A New Late Eocene Species of Plotopteridae (Aves: Pelecaniformes) from Northwestern Oregon". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 45 (6): 97–102.
22. David W. Steadman (1988). "A New Species of Porphyrio (Aves: Rallidae) from Archeological Sites in the Marquesas Islands". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 101 (1): 162–170.
23. Cécile Mourer-Chauviré (1988). "Le Gisement du Bretou (Phosphorites du Quercy, Tarn-et-Garonne, France) et sa Faune de Vertébrés de l’Éocène Supérieur II. Oiseaux". Paleontographica A 205: 29–50.
24. Eduardo P. Tonni & Claudia P. Tambussi (1988). "Un Nuevo Psilopterninae (Aves: Ralliformes) del Mioceno Tardio de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Republica Argentina". Ameghiniana 25: 155–160.
25. Gerard F. van Tets, Charles W. Meredith, Peter J. Fullagar, and Peter M. Davidson (1988). "Osteological Differences Between Sula and Morus, and a Description of an Extinct New Species of Sula from Lord Howe and Norfolk islands, Tasman Sea" (PDF). Notornis 35 (1): 35–57.
26. Herculano M. F. de Alvarenga (1988). "Ave Fóssil (Gruiformes: Rallidae) dos Folhelhos da Bacia de Taubaté, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil". Anais da Academia Brasileira Ciências 60: 321–328.
27. Cécile Mourer-Chauviré (2000). "A New Species of Ameripodius (Aves: Galliformes: Quercymegapodiidae) from the Lower Miocene of France". Palaeontology 43 (3): 481–493. doi:10.1111/j.0031-0239.2000.00136.x.
28. Lev A. Nessov (1988). "Novyye ptitsy mela i paleogena Sredney Azii i Kazakhstana i usloviya na mestakh ikh obitaniya. [New Cretaceous and Paleogene Birds from Middle Asia and Kazakhstan, and the Condition Existing at Theire Places of Residence.] [in Russian, with English sum.].". Trudy Zoologicheskogo Instituta Akademii Nauk SSSR 182: 116–123.
29. Kellner, A.W.A., and Campos, D.A. (1988). "Sobre un novo pterossauro com crista sagital da Bacia do Araripe, Cretaceo Inferior do Nordeste do Brasil. (Pterosauria, Tupuxuara, Cretaceo, Brasil)." Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, 60: 459–469. [in Portuguese]