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 1956.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
+...

Plants

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Pinophytes

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Sequoiadendron chaneyi[2]

Sp. nov

Valid

Axelrod

Barstovian

Aldrich Station Formation

  USA (  Nevada)

 
Sequoiadendron chaneyi

Archosauromorphs

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Dinosaurs

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

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Euhelopus[4] Valid taxon

Early Cretaceous (Barremian to Aptian)

Mengyin Formation

A euhelopodid titanosauriform.

 
Euhelopus

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. ^ Call, V.B.; Dilcher, D.L. (1997). "The fossil record of Eucommia (Eucommiaceae) in North America". American Journal of Botany. 84 (6): 798–814. doi:10.2307/2445816. JSTOR 2445816. PMID 21708632. S2CID 20464075.
  3. ^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  4. ^ Romer, A.S. 1956. Osteology of the Reptiles. University of Chicago Press (772 pages).