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 1963.
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| +... |
Arthropods
Newly named insects
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Propelma[2] | Gen et sp. nov | valid | Trjapitzin | A eupelmid wasp. |  |
Vertebrates
Archosauromorphs
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen et sp nov | preoccupied | A Crocodylomorph, |
Dinosauria
Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[4]
| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herrerasaurus[3] | Valid taxon | Late Triassic (Carnian) | A herrerasaurid. This was an early flesh-eating dinosaur. |  | ||||
| "Ischisaurus"[3] | Junior synonym of Herrerasaurus | Late Triassic (Carnian) | ||||||
| "Tanystrosuchus"[5] | Nomen dubium. |
| Late Triassic (Norian) | Either a theropod or shuvosaurid. | ||||
Birds
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agriocharis anza[6] | Sp. nov. | synonym | Howard | Middle Pleistocene | Palm Spring Formation |
| A Phasianidae, a synonym of Meleagris anza | |
Anas itchtucknee[7] | Sp. nov. | valid | McCoy | An Anatidae. | ||||
Gen. nov et Sp. nov. | valid | A Rallidae. | ||||||
Brantadorna downsi[6] | Gen. Nov. et Sp. nov. | valid |
| An Anatidae. | ||||
Bucephala fossilis[6] | Sp. nov. | valid |
| An Anatidae. | ||||
Calidris rayi[9] | Sp. nov. | valid | Brodkorb | A Scolopacidae. | ||||
Gen. et Sp. nov. | valid | Late Maastrichtian | A Cimolopterygidae Brodkporb, 1963. | |||||
Sp. nov. | valid | Late Maastrichtian | A Cimolopterygidae Brodkporb, 1963. | |||||
Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | valid | Late Maastrichtian | A Cimolopterygidae Brodkporb, 1963. | |||||
Dromiceius ocypus[11] | Synonym | valid | A Dromaiidae, transferred to the genus Dromaius. | |||||
Sp. nov. | valid | Howard |
| A Rallidae. | ||||
Sp. nov. | valid | McCoy | A Rallidae. | |||||
Gen. et Sp. nov. | valid | Late Maastrichtian | A Gaviiformes, type sp. L. estesi | |||||
Lonchodytes pterygius[10] | Sp. nov. | valid | Late Maastrichtian | |||||
Nanortyx[13] | Gen et sp. nov. | valid | Weigel | An Odontophoridae, type sp. N. inexpectatus | ||||
Gen et sp. nov. | valid | Weigel | Early Oligocene | Cypress Hills Formation | A Coccyzid, type sp. N. mccorquodalei | |||
Neophrontops vallecitoensis[6] | Sp. nov. | valid | Howard | Middle Pleistocene | Palm Spring Formation |
| An Accipitridae. | |
Nycticorax fidens[9] | Sp. nov. | valid | Brodkorb | An Ardeidae. | ||||
Oxyura bessomi[6] | Sp. nov. | valid | Howard | Middle Pleistocene | Palm Spring Formation |
| An Anatidae. | |
Sp. nov. | valid | Brodkorb | Burnside Marl | A Spheniscidae. | ||||
Palaeostruthus eurius[15] | Sp. nov. | valid | ||||||
Paractitis[13] | Gen et sp. nov. | valid | Weigel | Early Oligocene | Cypress Hills Formation | A Scolopacidae, type sp. P. bardi | ||
Phalacrocorax ibericum[16] | Sp. nov. | valid? | de Villalta Comella | |||||
Gen. et Sp. nov. | valid | Holmes Miller | Etadunna Formation | A Phoenicopteridae, type sp. P. eyrensis | ||||
Sp. nov. | valid | Holmes Miller | Early Miocene | Etadunna Formation | ||||
Sp. nov. | valid | Brodkorb | ||||||
Probalearica crataegensis[19] | Gen. et Sp. nov. | synonym | Brodkorb | Hawthorne Formation | A Gruidae, syn of Balearica crataegensis | |||
Propelargus olseni[19] | Sp. nov. | synonym | Brodkorb | Early Miocene | Hawthorne Formation | A Ciconiidae, syn of Grallavis olseni. | ||
Puffinus micraulax[19] | Sp. nov. | valid | Brodkorb | Early Miocene | Hawthorne Formation | A Sulidae. | ||
Sula universitatis[19] | Sp. nov. | valid | Brodkorb | Early Miocene | Hawthorne Formation | A Sulidae. | ||
Gen et sp. nov. | valid | Brodkorb | Late Blancan-Early Irvingtonian | A Phorusrhacidae. |  | |||
Gen et sp. nov. | valid | Brodkorb | Late Cretaceous | Lance Formation | Possibly a Pelecaniform, | |||
Totanus teruelensis[22] | Sp. nov. | synonym | de Villalta Comella | A Laridae, syn of Larus teruelensis |
Popular culture
Literature
- Savage Pellucidar, the last of the seven novels about Pellucidar, an underground world inhabited by dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, by Edgar Rice Burroughs was published.[23]