1949 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 1949.

Arthropods

Insects

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Parastylotermes[2] Gen. 4 comb nov valid Snyder & Emerson Ypresian-Miocene Latah Formation USA
Washington		 A Stylotermitid termite genus.
The type species is Stylotermes washingtonensis
Also includes S. calico, S. frazieri, & S. robustus.
Parastylotermes krishnai
Ulmeriella latahensis[3] Sp nov. Valid Snyder Miocene Latah Formation USA
Washington		 A harvester termite

Archosauromorphs

Archosauromorphs

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Location Notes Images
Elachistosuchus Gen et sp nov valid Janensch Late Triassic (Norian) * Germany A neodiapsid reptile.

Plesiosaurs

  • Plesiosaur gastroliths documented.[4]

Synapsids

Non-mammalian

Name Status Authors Age Location Notes Images

Aneugomphius

 Jr. Synonym of Theriognathus. Broom and Robinson Wuchiapingian South Africa

Homodontosaurus

 Valid Broom Wuchiapingian South Africa A therocephalian
Lemurosaurus Valid Broom Wuchiapingian * South Africa A biarmosuchian
Lemurosaurus

Myosauroides

 Valid Broom Wuchiapingian South Africa A dicynodont

Other animals

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Location Notes Images
Cyclomedusa gigantea[5] Sp. nov. Sprigg Ediacaran Australia A member of the genus Cyclomedusa.

Considered a probable junior synonym of Aspidella terranovica by Gehling, Narbonne & Anderson (2000)[6] and Ivantsov & Zakhrevskaya (2025).[7]
Cyclomedusa radiata[5] Sp. nov. Sprigg Ediacaran Australia A member of the genus Cyclomedusa.

Considered a probable junior synonym of Aspidella terranovica by Gehling, Narbonne & Anderson (2000)[6] and Ivantsov & Zakhrevskaya (2025).[7]
Dickinsonia minima[5] Sp. nov. Junior synonym Sprigg Ediacaran Australia A member of the genus Dickinsonia. Synonym of Dickinsonia costata.
Magdiana[5] Gen. et sp. nov. Junior homonym Sprigg Ediacaran Australia A discoid fossil, originally described as a jellyfish of unknown affinity. The type species is M. annulata. Southcott (1958) coined a replacement name Spriggia.[8]

Considered a probable junior synonym of Aspidella terranovica by Gehling, Narbonne & Anderson (2000)[6] and Ivantsov & Zakhrevskaya (2025).[7]
Medusina asteroides[5] Sp. nov. Sprigg Ediacaran Australia A discoid fossil, originally described as a jellyfish of unknown affinity. Transferred to the genus Medusinites by Glaessner & Wade (1966).[9]

Considered a probable junior synonym of Aspidella terranovica by Ivantsov & Zakhrevskaya (2025).[7]
Medusina filamentus[5] Sp. nov. Junior synonym Sprigg Ediacaran Australia A discoid fossil, originally described as a jellyfish of unknown affinity. Placed in synonymy with Pseudorhizostomites howchini by Glaessner & Wade (1966).[9]
Medusina mawsoni[5] Sp. nov. Junior synonym Sprigg Ediacaran Australia A discoid fossil, originally described as a jellyfish of unknown affinity. Transferred to the genus Medusinites and placed in synonymy with Medusinites asteroides by Glaessner & Wade (1966).[9]

Considered a probable junior synonym of Aspidella terranovica by Ivantsov & Zakhrevskaya (2025).[7]
Protodipleurosoma[5] Gen. et sp. nov. Junior synonym Sprigg Ediacaran Australia A discoid fossil, originally described as a hydrozoan jellyfish in the order Leptothecata. Synonym of Ediacaria. The type species is P. wardi.

Considered a probable junior synonym of Aspidella terranovica by Gehling, Narbonne & Anderson (2000)[6] and Ivantsov & Zakhrevskaya (2025).[7]
Protoniobia[5] Gen. et sp. nov. Sprigg Ediacaran Australia A discoid fossil, originally described as a hydrozoan jellyfish in the order Anthoathecata. The type species is P. wadea.

Considered a probable junior synonym of Aspidella terranovica by Ivantsov & Zakhrevskaya (2025).[7]
Pseudorhizostomites[5] Gen. et sp. nov. Sprigg Ediacaran Australia A discoid fossil, originally described as a scyphozoan jellyfish in the order Rhizostomeae. The type species is P. howchini.
Pseudorhopilema[5] Gen. et sp. nov. Junior synonym Sprigg Ediacaran Australia A discoid fossil, originally described as a scyphozoan jellyfish in the order Rhizostomeae. Synonym of Pseudorhizostomites. The type species is P. chapmani.
Tateana[5] Gen. et sp. nov. Sprigg Ediacaran Australia A discoid fossil, originally described as a scyphozoan jellyfish in the order Semaeostomeae. The type species is T. inflata.

Considered a probable junior synonym of Aspidella terranovica by Gehling, Narbonne & Anderson (2000)[6] and Ivantsov & Zakhrevskaya (2025).[7]

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. ↑ Emerson, A.E. (1971). "Tertiary fossil species of the Rhinotermitidae (Isoptera), phylogeny of genera, and reciprocal phylogeny of associated Flagellata (Protozoa) and the Staphylinidae (Coleoptera)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 146 (3): 243–304. hdl:2246/1093.
  3. ↑ Snyder, T. (1949). "A new Miocene Ulmeriella (fossil Isoptera, Hodotermitidae)". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 51 (4): 164–165.
  4. ↑ Welles and Bump (1949). Sanders, Manley, and Carpenter (2001), "Table 12.1" page 167.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Sprigg, R.C. (1949). "Early Cambrian "jellyfishes" of Ediacara, South Australia, and Mount John, Kimberley District, Western Australia". Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia. 73: 72–99.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Gehling, James G.; Narbonne, Guy M.; Anderson, Michael M. (September 2000). "The first named Ediacaran body fossil, Aspidella Terranovica". Palaeontology. 43 (3): 427–456. Bibcode:2000Palgy..43..427G. doi:10.1111/j.0031-0239.2000.00134.x. ISSN 0031-0239.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ivantsov, A.Yu.; Zakrevskaya, M.A. (2025). "The last jellyfish of the Precambrian" (PDF). Invertebrate Zoology. 22 (1): 56–67. doi:10.15298/invertzool.22.1.05.
  8. ↑ Southcott, R.V. (1958). "South Australian jellyfish". The South Australian Naturalist. 32: 53–61.
  9. 1 2 3 Glaessner, M.F.; Wade, M. (1966). "The late Precambrian fossils from Ediacara, South Australia" (PDF). Palaeontology. 9 (4): 599. Archived from the original on 2013-09-22. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  • Welles, Samuel P. and Bump, J. D.; 1949; Alzadasaurus pembertoni, a new elasmosaur from the Late Cretaceous of South Dakota; Journal of Paleontology; 23(5) pp. 521–535
  • 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.
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