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 1939.
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Arthropods
Newly named Arachnids
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Segestria succinei[2] | Sp nov | Valid | Berland | A segestriid spider |  |
Newly named insects
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ctenobethylus succinalis[3] | Gen et sp nov | valid | Brues | Middle Eocene | Baltic amber | Fossil Dolichoderine ant, |  | |
Sp nov | jr synonym | Carpenter & Hull | A big-headed fly; moved to Metanephrocerus collini in 1948 | |||||
Sp nov | jr synonym | Carpenter & Hull | A big-headed fly; moved to Priabona florissantius |
Archosauromorpha
Newly named dinosaurs
Data courtesy of George Olshevky's dinosaur genera list.[6]
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen et sp nov | valid | Young | A sauropod |  |
Plesiosaurs
- Plesiosaur gastroliths documented.[7]
References
- Riggs, Elmer Samuel; 1939a; A specimen of Elasmosaurus serpentinus; Geological Series of Field Museum of Natural History; VI(No. 25) pp. 385–391
- Sanders F, Manley K, Carpenter K. Gastroliths from the Lower Cretaceous sauropod Cedarosaurus weiskopfae. In: Tanke D.H, Carpenter K, editors. Mesozoic vertebrate life: new research inspired by the paleontology of Philip J. Currie. Indiana University Press; Bloomington, IN: 2001. pp. 166–180.