1931 in paleontology

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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 1931.

Plants

Angiosperms

Monocots

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Lysichiton washingtonense^[2]	Sp nov	Valid?	Berry	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Grand Coulee Florule	USA Washington		First described as a skunk cabbage fruit species Treated as placement incertae sedis by Chaney & Axelrod (1959)^[3]	Lysichiton washingtonense

Superasterids - basal

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Nyssa hesperia^[2]	Sp nov	valid	Berry	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Grand Coulee Florule	USA Washington		A tuplo seed species.^[4]

Superrosids - Basal

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Vitis bonseri^[2]	Sp nov	valid	Berry	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Grand Coulee Florule	USA Washington		A grape seed species.

Superrosids - Fabids

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Hicoria washingtoniana^[2]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Berry	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Grand Coulee Florule	USA Washington		First described as a hickory species. Synonymized into Magnolia dayana	Magnolia dayana
Quercus mccanni^[2]	Sp nov	valid	Berry	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Grand Coulee Florule	USA Washington		An oak species.	Quercus mccanni

Superrosids - Malvids

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Ptelea miocenica^[2]	Sp nov	valid	Berry	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Grand Coulee Florule	USA Washington		An hoptree species.	Ptelea miocenica

Incertae sedis

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Phyllites couleeannus^[2]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Berry	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Grand Coulee Florule	USA Washington		First described as a leaf morphospecies of uncertain affinity. Moved to Amelanchier couleeana (1946)^[5]	Amelanchier couleeana

Arthropods

Insects

Blattoidea

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Stylotermes washingtonensis^[6]	sp. nov	Jr synonym	Snyder	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Spokane Florule	USA Washington	A Stylotermitid termite. Moved to Parastylotermes washingtonensis (1949)^[7]

Coleoptera

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Pterostichus fernquisti^[8]	sp. nov		Wickham	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Spokane Florule	USA Washington	A carabid ground beetle
Dytiscus latahensis^[8]	sp. nov		Wickham	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Spokane Florule	USA Washington	A predaceous diving beetle

Diptera

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Elephantomyia baltica^[9]	Sp. nov	valid	Alexander	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Russia	A Limoniid cranefly

Hemiptera

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Latahcoris^[10]	Gen et sp. nov		Cockerell	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Spokane Florule	USA Washington	A tessaratomid giant stink bug The type species is L. spectatus

Hymenoptera

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Bombus proavus^[10]	Sp. nov		Cockerell	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Spokane Florule	USA Washington	A bumble bee

Hemiptera

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Miocordulia^[11]	Gen et sp. nov		Kennedy	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Spokane Florule	USA Washington	A corduliid dragonfly The type species is M. latipennis

Hemiptera

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Miopsyche^[12]	Gen et 2 sp. nov		Carpenter	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Spokane Florule	USA Washington	A northern caddisfly genus The type species is M. alexanderi Also includes M. martynovi
Phryganea spokanensis^[12]	Sp. nov		Carpenter	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Spokane Florule	USA Washington	A giant caddisfly species

Vertebrates

Conodonts

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Idiognathodus^[13]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Gunnell	Gzhelian	Fort Scott Limestone	USA Missouri		The type species is I. simulator

Jawless fish

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Cardipeltis^[14]	Gen est sp nov	Valid	Branson & Mehl	Devonian	Jefferson Formation	USA Utah		A heterostracan agnathan The type species is C. wallacii.	Cardipeltis wallacii

Newly named archosauromorphs

Dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.^[15]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Brasileosaurus^[16]	Gen et sp nov	vald?	von Huene	Cretaceous Turonian	Adamantina Formation	Brazil		First named as a coelurosaur Deemed to be a notosuchid crocodylomorph (1937)^[17]
Carcharodontosaurus^[18]	Gen et comb nov	Valid	Stromer	Cretaceous Cenomanian	Bahariya Formation	Egypt	Megalosaurus saharicus (1925) Dryptosaurus saharicus (1925)	A carcharodontosaurid	Carcharodontosaurus saharicus
Embasaurus^[19]	Gen et sp nov	valid?	Riabinin	Cretaceous Berriasian	Neocomian sands	Kazakhstan		A theropod of uncertain placement. The type species is E. minax
Orthogoniosaurus^[20]	Gen et sp nov	Nomen dubium?	Das-Gupta	Late Cretaceous	Lameta Formation	India		An indeterminate theropod tooth-taxon. The type species is O. matleyi
Tetragonosaurus^[21]	Gen et comb nov	Rejected name	Parks	Cretaceous Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Canada		First described as a small "cheneosaurine" hadrosaur. The type species is T. praeceps name suppressed by ICZN in favor of Procheneosaurus. Species redescribed as juvenile Lambeosaurus lambei (1975)^[22]	Lambeosaurus lambei

Synapsids

Non-mammalian

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Location	Notes	Images
Cerataelurus	Junior synonym of Pristerodon.
Ericiolacerta	Valid	Watson	250 Millions of years ago.	Antarctica South Africa	Despite the meaning of his name, it was not related to lizards.	Ericiolacerta
Euchambersia	Valid	Broom
Ictidostoma	Valid	Broom	261 Millions of years ago.	South Africa
Ictidosuchoides	Valid	Broom	257 Millions of years ago.	South Africa		Ictidosuchoides
Keratocephalus	Valid	Huene	261 Millions of years ago.	South Africa	A protomammal with strange bumps on its head.	Keratocephalus
Lycideops	Valid	Broom	257 Millions of years ago.	South Africa
Megacyclops	Junior synonym of Neomegacyclops.^{[dubious – discuss]}
Neomegacyclops	Valid	Boonstra

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.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Berry, E.W. (1932). "A Miocene flora from Grand Coulee, Washington". Shorter contributions to general geology, 1931 (Report). Professional Paper. United States Geological Survey. pp. 31–42. doi:10.3133/pp170C. 170-C.
^ Chaney, R.; Axelrod, D. (1959). Miocene Floras of the Columbia Plateau: Part II. Systematic Considerations, by Ralph W. Chaney and Daniel I. Axelrod. Carnegie Institution of Washington. pp. 1–226.Miocene Floras of the Columbia Plateau at the HathiTrust Digital Library
^ Eyde, R.H. (1997). "Fossil record and ecology of Nyssa (Cornaceae)". The Botanical Review. 63 (2): 97–123. Bibcode:1997BotRv..63...97E. doi:10.1007/BF02935928.
^ Brown, R.W. (1946). "Alterations in some fossil and living floras". Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences. 36 (10): 344–355.
^ Carpenter, F. M.; Cockerell, T. D. A.; Kennedy, C. H.; Snyder, T. E.; Wickham, H. F. (1931). "Insects from the Miocene (Latah) of Washington IV. Isoptera". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 24 (2): 317.
^ Emerson, A.E. (1971). "Tertiary fossil species of the Rhinotermitidae (Isoptera), phylogeny of genera, and reciprocal phylogeny of associated Flagellata (Protozoa) and the Staphylinidae (Coleoptera)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 146 (3): 243–304. hdl:2246/1093.
^ ^a ^b Carpenter, F. M.; Cockerell, T. D. A.; Kennedy, C. H.; Snyder, T. E.; Wickham, H. F. (1931). "Insects from the Miocene (Latah) of Washington V. Coleoptera". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 24 (2): 317–318.
^ Kania, I (2015). "Subfamily Limoniinae Speiser, 1909 (Diptera, Limoniidae) from Baltic Amber (Eocene): The Genus Elephantomyia Osten Sacken, 1860". PLOS ONE. 10 (2): 1–25. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1017434K. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117434. PMC 4338262. PMID 25706127.
^ ^a ^b Carpenter, F. M.; Cockerell, T. D. A.; Kennedy, C. H.; Snyder, T. E.; Wickham, H. F. (1931). "Insects from the Miocene (Latah) of Washington II. Hymenoptera and Hemiptera". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 24 (2): 309–312. doi:10.1093/aesa/24.2.309.
^ Carpenter, F. M.; Cockerell, T. D. A.; Kennedy, C. H.; Snyder, T. E.; Wickham, H. F. (1931). "Insects from the Miocene (Latah) of Washington II. Hymenoptera and Hemiptera". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 24 (2): 313–316.
^ ^a ^b Carpenter, F. M.; Cockerell, T. D. A.; Kennedy, C. H.; Snyder, T. E.; Wickham, H. F. (1931). "Insects from the Miocene (Latah) of Washington II. Hymenoptera and Hemiptera". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 24 (2): 319–322. doi:10.1093/aesa/24.2.319.
^ Gunnell, F. (1931). "Conodonts from the Fort Scott Limestone of Missouri". Journal of Paleontology. 5 (3): 244–252. JSTOR 1297961.
^ Branson, E.B.; Mehl, M.G. (1931). "Fishes of the Jefferson Formation of Utah". The Journal of Geology. 39 (6): 509–531. Bibcode:1931JG.....39..509B. doi:10.1086/623876. JSTOR 30080820.
^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
^ Huene, F. 1931. Die fossilien Faehrten in Rhaet von Ischigualasto in Nordwest Argentinien. Paleob. 4 (2) Viena.
^ Simpson (1937). "An ancient eusuchian crocodile from Patagonia". American Museum Novitates (965): 1–20.
^ Stromer, E. 1931. Vertebrate animal remainders of the Baharije stage (lowest Cenoman). 10. A skeleton remainder of Carcharodontosaurus Nov. towards. Abh. Bavarian Akad. Wissensch. Math. natutwiss. Abbott. 9: pp. 1 23.
^ Riabinin, A.N. 1931. Two dinosaurian vertebrae from the Lower Cretaceous of Transcaspian Steppes. Zapiski Russkogo Min. Obshchestva (ser. 2) 60: pp. 110-113.
^ Dasgupta, H.C. 1931. On a new theropod dinosaur (Orthogoniosaurus matleyi, n. gen. et. n. sp.) from the Lameta beds of Jubbulpore. J. Asiatic Soc. Bengal. 26: pp. 367-369.
^ Parks, W.A. 1931. A new genus and two new species of trachodont dinosaurs from the Belly River Formation of Alberta. Univ. Toronto Stud. (Geol. Ser.) 31: pp. 1-11.
^ Dodson, Peter (1975). "Taxonomic implications of relative growth in lambeosaurine dinosaurs". Systematic Zoology. 24 (1): 37–54. doi:10.2307/2412696. JSTOR 2412696.

[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.

[Berry1931-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Berry, E.W. (1932). "A Miocene flora from Grand Coulee, Washington". Shorter contributions to general geology, 1931 (Report). Professional Paper. United States Geological Survey. pp. 31–42. doi:10.3133/pp170C. 170-C.

[Columbia1959-3] Chaney, R.; Axelrod, D. (1959). Miocene Floras of the Columbia Plateau: Part II. Systematic Considerations, by Ralph W. Chaney and Daniel I. Axelrod. Carnegie Institution of Washington. pp. 1–226.Miocene Floras of the Columbia Plateau at the HathiTrust Digital Library

[Eyde1997-4] Eyde, R.H. (1997). "Fossil record and ecology of Nyssa (Cornaceae)". The Botanical Review. 63 (2): 97–123. Bibcode:1997BotRv..63...97E. doi:10.1007/BF02935928.

[Brown1946-5] Brown, R.W. (1946). "Alterations in some fossil and living floras". Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences. 36 (10): 344–355.

[Snyder1931-6] Carpenter, F. M.; Cockerell, T. D. A.; Kennedy, C. H.; Snyder, T. E.; Wickham, H. F. (1931). "Insects from the Miocene (Latah) of Washington IV. Isoptera". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 24 (2): 317.

[Emerson1971-7] Emerson, A.E. (1971). "Tertiary fossil species of the Rhinotermitidae (Isoptera), phylogeny of genera, and reciprocal phylogeny of associated Flagellata (Protozoa) and the Staphylinidae (Coleoptera)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 146 (3): 243–304. hdl:2246/1093.

[Wickham1931-8] Carpenter, F. M.; Cockerell, T. D. A.; Kennedy, C. H.; Snyder, T. E.; Wickham, H. F. (1931). "Insects from the Miocene (Latah) of Washington V. Coleoptera". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 24 (2): 317–318.

[Kania2015-9] Kania, I (2015). "Subfamily Limoniinae Speiser, 1909 (Diptera, Limoniidae) from Baltic Amber (Eocene): The Genus Elephantomyia Osten Sacken, 1860". PLOS ONE. 10 (2): 1–25. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1017434K. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117434. PMC 4338262. PMID 25706127.

[Cockerell1931-10] Carpenter, F. M.; Cockerell, T. D. A.; Kennedy, C. H.; Snyder, T. E.; Wickham, H. F. (1931). "Insects from the Miocene (Latah) of Washington II. Hymenoptera and Hemiptera". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 24 (2): 309–312. doi:10.1093/aesa/24.2.309.

[Kennedy1931-11] Carpenter, F. M.; Cockerell, T. D. A.; Kennedy, C. H.; Snyder, T. E.; Wickham, H. F. (1931). "Insects from the Miocene (Latah) of Washington II. Hymenoptera and Hemiptera". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 24 (2): 313–316.

[Carpenter1931-12] Carpenter, F. M.; Cockerell, T. D. A.; Kennedy, C. H.; Snyder, T. E.; Wickham, H. F. (1931). "Insects from the Miocene (Latah) of Washington II. Hymenoptera and Hemiptera". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 24 (2): 319–322. doi:10.1093/aesa/24.2.319.

[Gunnell1931-13] Gunnell, F. (1931). "Conodonts from the Fort Scott Limestone of Missouri". Journal of Paleontology. 5 (3): 244–252. JSTOR 1297961.

[14] Branson, E.B.; Mehl, M.G. (1931). "Fishes of the Jefferson Formation of Utah". The Journal of Geology. 39 (6): 509–531. Bibcode:1931JG.....39..509B. doi:10.1086/623876. JSTOR 30080820.

[ddinogeorge-15] Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.

[16] Huene, F. 1931. Die fossilien Faehrten in Rhaet von Ischigualasto in Nordwest Argentinien. Paleob. 4 (2) Viena.

[17] Simpson (1937). "An ancient eusuchian crocodile from Patagonia". American Museum Novitates (965): 1–20.

[18] Stromer, E. 1931. Vertebrate animal remainders of the Baharije stage (lowest Cenoman). 10. A skeleton remainder of Carcharodontosaurus Nov. towards. Abh. Bavarian Akad. Wissensch. Math. natutwiss. Abbott. 9: pp. 1 23.

[19] Riabinin, A.N. 1931. Two dinosaurian vertebrae from the Lower Cretaceous of Transcaspian Steppes. Zapiski Russkogo Min. Obshchestva (ser. 2) 60: pp. 110-113.

[20] Dasgupta, H.C. 1931. On a new theropod dinosaur (Orthogoniosaurus matleyi, n. gen. et. n. sp.) from the Lameta beds of Jubbulpore. J. Asiatic Soc. Bengal. 26: pp. 367-369.

[21] Parks, W.A. 1931. A new genus and two new species of trachodont dinosaurs from the Belly River Formation of Alberta. Univ. Toronto Stud. (Geol. Ser.) 31: pp. 1-11.

[PD75-22] Dodson, Peter (1975). "Taxonomic implications of relative growth in lambeosaurine dinosaurs". Systematic Zoology. 24 (1): 37–54. doi:10.2307/2412696. JSTOR 2412696.

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