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 1955.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
+...

Plants

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Pteridophyta

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Azolla primaeva[2]

Comb nov

Valid

(Penhallow) Arnold

Ypresian

Allenby Formation

  Canada

A waterfern, moved from Azollophyllum primaevum Penhallow, 1890

 
Azolla primaeva


Arthropods

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Crustaceans

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Eryon yehoachi[3]

Sp nov

Jr. synonym

Remy and Avnimelech

Late Cretaceous (Campanian)

Mishash Formation

  Israel

Moved to Ursquilla in 1998.[4]

Dinosaurs

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  • Massospondylus gastroliths are documented.[5]

Newly named dinosaurs

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Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[6]

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Majungasaurus[7] Valid taxon René Lavocat Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Maevarano Formation   Madagascar A majungasaurine abelisaurid.
 
Majungasaurus
Tarbosaurus[8] Valid taxon Evgeny Maleev Late Cretaceous (late Campanian-early Maastrichtian) Nemegt Formation

Subashi Formation

  Mongolia   China An Asian Tyrannosaurus-looking tyrannosaurid.
 
Tarbosaurus

Synapsids

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Theriodonts

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Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Sauroctonus Valid Bystrow Late Permian Semen Formation
Teekloof Formation
  Russia A gorgonopsian.
 
Sauroctonus
Scalenodon Valid Crompton and Parrington Middle Triassic Manda Formation   Tanzania A traversodontid cynodont.

Mammals

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Eutherians

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Cetaceans
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Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Lophocetus pappus Now renamed Miminiacetus. Kellogg Middle Miocene (Langhian)
Pelodelphis Valid Kellogg Middle Miocene (Langhian) Calvert Formation *   US (  Maryland) An odontocete of uncertain position.
Tretosphys Valid Kellogg Middle Miocene (Langhian) Calvert Formation   Czech Republic   US (  Maryland,   New Jersey,   North Carolina and   Virginia) An odontocete of uncertain position; new genus for "Delphinapterus" gabbi Cope (1868).

Other Animals

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Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Dickinsonia spriggi[9] Synonym of Dickinsonia costata Harrington & Moore Ediacaran   Australia

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. ^ Arnold, C.A. (1955). "A Tertiary Azolla from British Columbia" (PDF). Contributions from the Museum of. Paleontology, University of Michigan. 12 (4): 37–45.
  3. ^ Remy, Jean Marcel; Avnimelech, M. (1955-01-01). "Eryon yehoachi nov. sp. et Cenomanocarcinus cf. vanstraeleni Stenzel, crustaces decapodes du Cretace superieur de l'etat d'Israel". Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France. S6-V (4–6): 311–314. doi:10.2113/gssgfbull.S6-V.4-6.311. ISSN 1777-5817.
  4. ^ Hof, Cees H.J. (1998). "Late Cretaceous stomatopods (Crustacea, Malacostraca) from Israel and Jordan". Contributions to Zoology. 67 (4): 257–266. doi:10.1163/18759866-06704003. ISSN 1383-4517.
  5. ^ Bond (1955). Sanders, Manley, and Carpenter (2001), "Table 12.1" page 167.
  6. ^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  7. ^ Lavocat, R. 1955. Sur une portion de mandibule de thérepode provenant de Crétace supérieur de Madagascar. Bull. Musee Natl. d’Histoire Nat. (ser. 2) 27: pp. 256-259.
  8. ^ Maleev, E. A. (1955). "Гигантских плотоядных динозавров Монголии" [Gigantic carnivorous dinosaurs of Mongolia]. Doklady Akademii Nauk SSSR. 104: 634–637.
  9. ^ Harrington, N.J.; Moore, R.C. (1955). "Kansas Pennsylvanian and other jellyfishes". Bull. Kansas Geol. Surv. 114 (5): 153–163.
  • Bond, G. 1955. A note on dinosaur remains from the Forest Sandstone (Upper Karoo). Occasional Papers of the National Museum of Rhodesia 2: 795–800.
  • 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.