Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life formsonEarth 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 1987.
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
First described as a witch-hazel genus |
|||||||
Gen et comb nov |
Valid |
Aplatanaceous genus |
synonymy
|
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Adove-tree relative |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Comb nov |
Valid |
First suggested to be a Schoepfia relative, |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Comb nov |
Valid |
synonymy |
Analder species |
||||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Abirch species |
|||||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Badger Pocket-Squaw Creek, Wanapum Basalts |
described from one of the oldest rodent nut caches known |
||||||
Comb nov |
Valid |
synonymy
|
Afagaceous species |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
sp nov |
Valid |
Alinden species |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
sp nov |
Valid |
APhotinia species |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sect and sp nov |
Valid |
Oldest Acer sp in Alaska; Only species of the section Alaskana |
|||||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
extinct member of section Ginnala |
||||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
Collawash flora and several other floras |
extinct member of section Parviflora |
|||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
Beaver Creek Flora |
extinct member of section Macrantha |
|||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
Late Eocene |
John Day Formation |
extinct member of section Macrantha |
||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
Late Eocene - early Oligocene |
extinct member of section Macrantha |
|||||
sect and sp nov |
Valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
Only species of the section Douglasa |
||||||
Sp. nov. |
valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
Middle-Late Eocene |
"Bull Run" Flora |
extinct species of Acer sect. Negundo |
||||
sp nov |
valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
Late Miocene |
Lolo pass flora |
Member of Acer Section Rubra |
||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
one of two species in the extinct section Stewarta |
||||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
Latest Eocene - Early Oligocene |
Meshik Volcanics |
extinct member of section Glabra |
||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
Oligocene |
extinct member of section Rubra |
|||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
extinct member of Acer section Macrantha |
||||||
Sp. nov. |
valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
Late Eocene |
Beaver Creek Flora |
A possible member of Acer sect. Cissifolia |
||||
Sect and sp nov |
Valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
type and only species in the extinct section Republica |
||||||
sp nov |
Valid |
only species in the extinct section Rousea |
|||||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Clarkia and other formations |
extinct member of section Parviflora |
||||||
sp nov |
Valid |
one of two species in the extinct section Stewarta |
|||||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
one of three species in the extinct section Torada |
||||||
sp nov |
valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
Middle Miocene |
Member of Acer Section Rubra |
|||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Bull Run Flora |
extinct member of section Rubra |
||||||
sp nov |
Valid |
one of three species in the extinct section Torada |
|||||||
sp nov |
Valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
extinct member of section Glabra |
||||||
Sect and sp nov |
Valid |
Wolfe & Tanai |
type species in the extinct section Torada |
||||||
Comb nov |
Valid |
(Ashlee) Wolfe & Tanai |
member of Acer section Rubra |
||||||
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Aburseraceous genus |
|||||||
gen et comb nov |
Valid |
|
Asapindaceous genus |
||||||
sp nov |
Valid |
A sumac relative |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Stockey |
An angiosperm flower genus of uncertain affiliation. |
||||||
gen, sp, et comb nov |
Valid |
Anincertae sedis angiosperm |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
sp nov |
valid |
Berg-Madsen |
second Tuarangia species named |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Shear et al. |
one of the oldest spiders |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sp nov |
Valid |
Quayle |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Dlussky |
Asphecomyrmine ant. |
|||||
Sp nov. |
Valid |
Nel |
ACalopterygid damselfly. |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
gen et sp nov |
Valid taxon |
|||||||
Gen et sp nov |
Valid taxon |
|||||||
gen et sp nov |
Valid taxon |
|||||||
gen et sp nov |
determined to be a junior synonymofNanotyrannus |
|||||||
nomen nudum |
China | |||||||
gen et sp nov |
Valid taxon |
|||||||
Pseudolagosuchus[17] |
Gen et sp nov |
Valid taxon |
Ladinian (Middle Triassic) |
possibly a jr synonym of Lewisuchus |
||||
Ugrosaurus[18] |
gen et sp nov |
|||||||
Baugh vide: Armstrong |
Possibly a Fish neural spine, never formally described |
|||||||
gen et sp nov |
name preoccupied |
Name preoccupied by a bryozoan. Renamed Alwalkeriain1994. |
Name | Status | Novelty | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
jr synonym |
Gen et sp. nov. |
AnAmeghinornithidae, jr synonym of Strigogyps sapea.[21] it is the type species of the genus Aenigmavis Peters, 1987. |
||||||
Valid |
Sp nov. |
AnAnatidae. |
||||||
Valid |
Gen et sp nov. |
Monotypic with C. junnei. Originally classified as a member of Ardeidae; this interpretation was rejected by Mayr, Gingerich & Smith (2019), who considered this bird to be a member of Telluraves, and claimed that it resembled parrot-like taxon Vastanavis.[24] |
||||||
Valid |
Sp nov. |
|||||||
jr synonym |
Sp nov. |
ADromaiidae, jr synonym of Emuarius gidju.[27] |
||||||
Valid |
Sp. nov. |
|||||||
Valid |
Gen et sp nov. |
ASandcoleid, monotypic with E. pallas. |
||||||
Valid |
Gen et sp nov. |
AJacanidae, monotypic with J. nymphaeobates |
||||||
Valid |
Sp. nov. |
|||||||
jr synonym |
Sp. nov. |
|||||||
Valid |
Gen et sp. nov. |
AJacanidae, |
||||||
Valid |
Sp. nov. |
AnOtidid |
||||||
Valid |
Sp nov. |
AnOtididae. |
||||||
Valid |
Gen et sp nov. |
AThreskiornithid, monotypic with P. songlinensis. |
||||||
Valid |
Gen et sp nov. |
ASophiornithid, monotypic with P. cracrafti. |
||||||
Valid |
Gen et sp nov. |
APalaeoglaucid, monotypic with P. perrierensis. |
||||||
Valid |
Gen et sp nov. |
ASophiornithid,[36] monotypic with P. cadurcensis. |
||||||
Valid |
Gen et sp nov. |
Monotypic with P. austriaca. Originally thought to be an auk; Göhlich & Mayr (2018) reinterpreted it as a member of Gaviiformes.[38] |
||||||
Valid |
Sp. nov. |
|||||||
Valid |
Gen et sp nov. |
ASteatornithidae, Preficinae, monotypic with P. nivea |
||||||
Valid |
Gen et sp nov. |
ASophiornithid, monotypic with S. quercynus |
||||||
Valid |
Sp. nov. |
Holocene |
||||||
Valid |
Sp. nov. |
|||||||
Valid |
Gen et sp nov. |
ATytthostonychid, monotypic with T. glauconiticus |
||||||
Valid |
Gen et sp nov. |
AXenerodiopid, monotypic with X. mycter |
|