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 1950.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
+...

Dinosaurs

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Newly named dinosaurs

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Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[2]

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Acrocanthosaurus[3] Valid taxon
  • Stovall
  • Langston

late Aptian-early Albian

Antlers Formation
Cloverly Formation
Twin Mountains Formation

  Texas)

A sail-backed carcharodontosaurid.

 
Acrocanthosaurus
 
Pachyrhinosaurus canadensis
Pachyrhinosaurus[4] Valid taxon

Edmontonian

Horseshoe Canyon Formation

A centrosaurine.

Plesiosaurs

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  • Plesiosaur gastroliths documented.[5]

Synapsids

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Non-mammalian

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Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Kitchingia

Junior synonym

Broom and George

Late Permian

Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone

  South Africa

A junior synonym of Rhachiocephalus.

Leontosaurus

Junior synonym

Broom and George

Late Permian

Dicynodon Assemblage Zone

  South Africa

A junior synonym of Sycosaurus.

Silphoictidoides

Valid

Friedrich von Huene

Late Permian

Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone

  Tanzania

A member of Gorgonopsia.

Theropsodon

Valid

Friedrich von Huene

Middle Triassic

Cynognathus Assemblage Zone

  Tanzania

A traversodontid.

Tigrisaurus

Junior synonym

Broom and George

Late Permian

Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone

  South Africa

A junior synonym of Dinogorgon.

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. ^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  3. ^ Stovall, J.W. and W. Langston. 1950. Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, a new genus and species of Lower Cretaceous Theropoda from Oklahoma. American Midland Naturalist 43 (3): pp. 696-728.
  4. ^ Sternberg, C.H. 1950. Pachyrhinosaurus canadensis, representing a new family of Ceratopsia. Bull. Natl. Mus. Can. 118: pp. 109- 120.
  5. ^ Shuler (1950). Sanders, Manley, and Carpenter (2001), "Table 12.1" page 167.
  • 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.
  • Shuller; 1950; A new elasmosaur from the Eagle Ford shale of Texas - The elasmosaur and its environment (Part II); University press in Dallas southern Methodist University. Fondren Science Series pp. 1–32