1940 in paleontology

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	In science 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943
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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 1940.

Plants

Angiosperms

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Eucommia eocenica^[2]	Sp nov	valid	(Berry) Brown	Middle Eocene	Claiborne Formation	USA Tennessee	new generic placement of Simaroubites eocenica
Eucommia montana^[2]	Sp nov	valid	Brown	Middle Eocene	Renova Formation	USA Montana	Eucommia species, found across Western North America	Eucommia montana
Pseudolarix americana^[3]	Sp nov.	nomen nudum	Brown	Ypresian	Klondike Mountain Formation	USA Washington	A golden larch species, split into Pseudolarix arnoldii and Pseudolarix wehrii in 1992	Pseudolarix wehrii
Tetrapteris simsoni^[4]^[5]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Brown	Middle Eocene	Clarno Formation	USA Oregon	A walnut relative. Moved to Cruciptera simsonii in 1991

Arthropods

insects

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Centrinus longipes^[6]	Sp nov	valid	Piton	Thanetian	Menat Formation	France	A weevil	Centrinus longipes
Lixus ligniticus^[6]	Sp nov	valid	Piton	Thanetian	Menat Formation	France	A weevil	Lixus ligniticus
Doryderes laticollis^[6]	Sp nov	valid	Piton	Thanetian	Menat Formation	France	A pentatomid stinkbug	Doryderes laticollis
Phaenolobus arvernus^[6]	Sp nov	valid	Piton	Thanetian	Menat Formation	France	An ichneumonid wasp	Phaenolobus arvernus

Archosauromorphs

Crurotarsans

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Asiatosuchus grangeri^[7]	Gen. et. sp. nov	Valid	Mook	Upper Eocene	Irdin Manha Formation	China	A crocodyloid.

Dinosaurs

Data from George Olshevky's dinosaur genera list.^[8]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Caenagnathus^[9]		Valid	Sternberg			Canada Alberta		Caenagnathus

Plesiosaurs

New taxa

Name	Status	Authors		Location	Images
Seeleyosaurus	Valid	White		Germany
Tremamesacleis	Jr. Synonym of Muraenosaurus.	White

Synapsids

Non-mammalian

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Location
Aelurosauroides	Jr. Synonym of Aelurosaurus.
Aelurosauropsis	Valid	Haughton and Brink
Bienotherium	Valid	Young	193 Millions of years ago.	China
Dicynodontoides	Valid	Broom	257 Millions of years ago.	South Africa Tanzania Zambia
Leontocephalus	Jr. Synonym of Aelurognathus.
Nanictocephalus	Valid	Broom	257 Millions of years ago	South Africa
Prorubidgea	Jr. Synonym of Aelurognathus

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 Call, V.B.; Dilcher, D.L. (1997). "The fossil record of Eucommia (Eucommiaceae) in North America". American Journal of Botany. 84 (6): 798–814. doi:10.2307/2445816. JSTOR 2445816. PMID 21708632. S2CID 20464075.
^ Gooch, N. L. (1992). "Two new species of Pseudolarix Gordon (Pinaceae) from the middle Eocene of the Pacific Northwest". PaleoBios. 14: 13–19.
^ Brown, R. W. (1940). "New species and changes of name in some American fossil floras". Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences. 30 (8): 344–356. JSTOR 24529454.
^ Manchester, S.R. (1994). "Fruits and Seeds of the Middle Eocene Nut Beds Flora, Clarno Formation, Oregon". Palaeontographica Americana. 58: 30–31.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Piton, L. (1940). "Paléontologie du Gisement Éocéne de Menat (Puy-de-Dôme) (Flore et Faune)". Mémoire de la Société d'Histoire Naturelle d'Auvergne. 1: 1–303.
^ Mook, Charles Craig (December 26, 1940). "A new fossil crocodilian from Mongolia". American Museum Novitates (1097): 1–3. hdl:2246/2242.
^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
^ Sternberg, R.M. 1940. A toothless bird from the Cretaceous of Alberta. J. Paleontol. 14: pp. 81-85.

[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.

[Call1997-2] Call, V.B.; Dilcher, D.L. (1997). "The fossil record of Eucommia (Eucommiaceae) in North America". American Journal of Botany. 84 (6): 798–814. doi:10.2307/2445816. JSTOR 2445816. PMID 21708632. S2CID 20464075.

[Gooch1992-3] Gooch, N. L. (1992). "Two new species of Pseudolarix Gordon (Pinaceae) from the middle Eocene of the Pacific Northwest". PaleoBios. 14: 13–19.

[Brown1940-4] Brown, R. W. (1940). "New species and changes of name in some American fossil floras". Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences. 30 (8): 344–356. JSTOR 24529454.

[Manchester1994-5] Manchester, S.R. (1994). "Fruits and Seeds of the Middle Eocene Nut Beds Flora, Clarno Formation, Oregon". Palaeontographica Americana. 58: 30–31.

[Piton1940-6] Piton, L. (1940). "Paléontologie du Gisement Éocéne de Menat (Puy-de-Dôme) (Flore et Faune)". Mémoire de la Société d'Histoire Naturelle d'Auvergne. 1: 1–303.

[7] Mook, Charles Craig (December 26, 1940). "A new fossil crocodilian from Mongolia". American Museum Novitates (1097): 1–3. hdl:2246/2242.

[ddinogeorge-8] Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.

[9] Sternberg, R.M. 1940. A toothless bird from the Cretaceous of Alberta. J. Paleontol. 14: pp. 81-85.

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