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 1948.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
+...

Arthropods

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Newly named insects

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Metanephrocerus[2]

Gen nov

valid

Aczél

Priabonian

Baltic Amber

  Europe

A big-headed fly; new genus for Protonephrocerus collini

Archosauromorphs

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Newly named dinosaurs

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Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[3]

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Lukousaurus Valid taxon

Early Jurassic (Hettangian-Sinemurian)

Lower Lufeng Series

  China

May be a crocodylomorph rather than a theropod.[4]

Sinosaurus[5] Valid taxon

Early Jurassic (Hettangian-Sinemurian)

Lower Lufeng Series

  China

A dilophosaurid. (Formerly Dilophosaurus sinensis)

 
Sinosaurus

Pterosaurs

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New taxa

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Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes

Batrachognathus

Valid

Rjabinin

Late Jurassic (Oxfordian-Kimmeridgian)

Karabastau Svita

  Kazakhstan

An anurognathid.

Synapsids

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Non-mammalian

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Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Clelandina

Valid

Broom

Late Permian

Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone
Dicynodon Assemblage Zone
Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone

  South Africa

A gorgonopsid.

Digalodon

Valid

Broom and Robinson

Late Permian

Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone

  South Africa
  Zambia

For a time considered a junior synonym, its validity was reinstated in 2015.

Koupia

Valid

Boonstra

Middle Permian

Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone

  South Africa

A dicynodont.

Pardocephalus

Junior synonym

Broom

Late Permian

Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone

  South Africa

A junior synonym of the gorgonopsid Aelurognathus

Robertia

Valid

Boonstra

Middle Permian

Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone

  South Africa

A pylaecephalid. Like Diictodon, it was also a burrower.

 
Robertia

Smilesaurus

Valid

Broom

Late Permian

Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone

  South Africa

A junior synonym of the gorgonopsid Aelurognathus.

Tetracynodon

Valid

Broom and Robinson

Late Permian-Early Triassic

Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone
Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone

  South Africa

A lycideopid therocephalian.

References

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  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.
  2. ^ Kehlmaier, C; Dierick, M; Skevington, JH (2014). "Micro-CT studies of amber inclusions reveal internal genitalic features of big-headed flies, enabling a systematic placement of Metanephrocerus Aczel, 1948 (Insecta: Diptera: Pipunculidae)". Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny. 72 (1): 23–36.
  3. ^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  4. ^ R. B. Irmis. 2004. First report of Megapnosaurus (Theropoda: Coelophysoidea) from China. PaleoBios 24(3):11-18
  5. ^ Young C.-C. 1948. On two new saurischians from Lufeng, Yunnan. Bull. Geol. Soc. China 28: pp. 75-90.