1950 in paleontology

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)
… 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 …
In science 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953
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Dinosaurs

Newly named dinosaurs

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	United States ( Maryland,  Wyoming,  Oklahoma,  Texas)	A sail-backed carcharodontosaurid.	Acrocanthosaurus Pachyrhinosaurus canadensis
Pachyrhinosaurus[4]	Valid taxon	C. M. Sternberg		Edmontonian	Horseshoe Canyon Formation	Canada ( Alberta)  United States ( Alaska)	A centrosaurine.

Plesiosaurs

• Plesiosaur gastroliths documented.[5]

Synapsids

Non-mammalian

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

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". 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