1968 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 1968.
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Flora
    
    Ferns and fern allies
    
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
 Allantodiopsis pugetensis[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Puget Group  | 
![]() Allantodiopsis pugetensis  | ||||
Angiosperms
    
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
 Alnus kluckingi[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
 A alder species.  | 
|||
| 
 Anacardites franklinensis[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 A cashew foliage form genus.  | 
||||
| 
 Artocarpoides kummerensis[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 jr synonym  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
 A dicot of uncertain affinity.  | 
|||
| 
 Artocarpoides litseafolia[2]  | 
 Comb nov  | 
 jr synonym  | 
 Ione Formation  | 
 A dicot of uncertain affinity.  | 
||||
| 
 Calkinsia[2]  | 
 Gen et sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
 A moon seed relative.  | 
|||
| 
 Camellia multiforma[2]  | 
 Comb nov  | 
 valid  | 
 (Potbury) Wolfe  | 
 La Porte Tuff  | 
 A Camellia species.  | 
|||
| 
 Carya cashmanensis[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
||||
| 
 Carya pugetensis[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
||||
| 
 Castanopsis franklinensis[2]  | 
 Sp. nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
 A chinquapin species.  | 
|||
| 
 Cladrastis pugetensis[2]  | 
 Sp. nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
 A Cladrastis species legume.  | 
|||
| 
 Dryophyllum pugetensis[2]  | 
 Sp. nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
 A Dryophyllum species.  | 
|||
| 
 Fothergilla durhamensis[2]  | 
 Sp. nov  | 
 jr synonym  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
 A platanaceous species.  | 
|||
| 
 Goweria[2]  | 
 Gen et 2 Sp. nov  | 
 valid  | 
 A icacinaceous genus.  | 
|||||
| 
 Hyperbaena dilleri[2]  | 
 Comb nov  | 
 Jr synonym  | 
 A moon seed relative.  | 
|||||
| 
 Hypserpa cashmanensis[2]  | 
 Gen et sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
||||
| 
 Hypserpa cashmanensis[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
||||
| 
 Hypserpa franklinensis[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
||||
| 
 Macaranga pugetensis[2]  | 
 Sp. nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
||||
| 
 Macclintockia pugetensis[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
 A Macclintockia species.  | 
|||
| 
 Pterocarya pugetensis[2]  | 
 Sp. nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
 A wingnut species.  | 
|||
| 
 "Pugetia"[2]  | 
 Gen et sp nov  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
 A possible hickory relative.  | 
||||
| 
 Rhamnites cashmanensis[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 jr synonym  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
 identified as a Rhamnites buckthorn foliage.  | 
|||
| 
 Rhamnites franklinensis[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
 A Rhamnites buckthorn foliage.  | 
|||
| 
 Ternstroemites ravenensis[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
 A Ternstroemites theaceous foliage.  | 
|||
| 
 Viburnum pugetensis[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
 A Viburnum species.  | 
|||
| 
 Vinea[2]  | 
 Gen et sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
 A walnut relative.  | 
|||
| 
 Willisia[2]  | 
 Gen et sp nov  | 
 Jr homonym  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Puget Group  | 
 A linden relative.  | 
|||
Arthropods
    
    Insects
    
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
 sp nov  | 
 Valid  | 
 Rice  | 
 Early Eocene  | 
 A Tenthredinidae sawfly  | 
 | |||
| 
 sp nov  | 
 Valid  | 
 Rice  | 
 Early Eocene  | 
 Horsefly Shales  | 
 A Tenthredinidae sawfly  | 
 | ||
Conodonts
    
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
 gen nov  | 
 Valid taxon  | 
||||||
Archosauriformes
    
    Non-avian dinosaurs
    
Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[9]
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
 gen et sp nov  | 
 Valid taxon  | 
 An aralosaurin hadrosaur.  | 
 | |||||
Birds
    
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
 Aethia rossmoori [11]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Late Miocene  | 
 An Alcidae.  | 
||||
| 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Middle Pleistocene  | 
 Ubeidiya Formation  | 
 An Alaudidae.  | 
||||
| 
 Gen et sp nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Howard  | 
 Late Miocene?  | 
 An Alcidae,  | 
||||
| 
 Bathornis fricki [13]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Early Miocene  | 
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| 
 Buteo circoides [14]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Middle Oligocene  | 
 Tatal-Gol  | 
 An Accipitridae.  | 
|||
| 
 Coturnicops avita [15]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Late Pliocene  | 
 A Rallidae.  | 
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| 
 Cygnavus formosus [16]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Kurochkin  | 
 Late Eocene  | 
 Zaysan Bassin  | 
 An Anatidae.  | 
||
| 
 "Cygnopterus" lambrechti[16]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 valid  | 
 Kurochkin  | 
 Middle Oligocene  | 
 Kustovskaya  | 
 Phoenicopteriformes Incertae Sedis  | 
||
| 
 Fulica stekelesi [12]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Tchernov  | 
 Middle Pleistocene  | 
 Ubeidiya Formation  | 
 A Rallidae.  | 
||
| 
 Fulmarus hammeri [11]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
||||||
| 
 Gobihierax [14]  | 
 Gen et Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Kurochkin  | 
 Tatal-Gol  | 
 An Accipitridae, Type sp G. edax  | 
|||
| 
 Guguschia nailiae [17]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Aslanova & Burchak-Abramovich  | 
 Middle Oligocene  | 
 Maykopian Clay  | 
 A Swan, Anatidae.  | 
||
| 
 Laterallus insignis [15]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Feduccia  | 
 Late Pliocene  | 
 A Rallidae.  | 
|||
| 
 Limicorallus [16]  | 
 Gen. et Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Kurochkin  | 
 Middle Oligocene-Miocene  | 
 Myn-Say Gorge  | 
 A Phalacrocoracidae, type species L. saiensis.  | 
||
| 
 Gen. et sp. nov.  | 
 Jr synonym  | 
 Scarlett  | 
 Pleistocene-modern  | 
 An Aegothelidae, type sp M. novaezealandiae,   | 
||||
| 
 Megagallinula [16]  | 
 Gen. et Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Kurochkin  | 
 Middle Oligocene  | 
 Kur-Say Gorge  | 
 A Rallidae. type sp. M. harundinea  | 
||
| 
 Melanocorypha gracilis [12]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Tchernov  | 
 Middle Pleistocene  | 
 Ubeidiya Formation  | 
 An Alaudidae.  | 
||
| 
 Palaeorallus alienus [14]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 nomen dubium  | 
 Kurochkin  | 
 Middle Oligocene  | 
 Tatal-Gol  | 
 A possible Rallidae,  | 
||
| 
 Paracrax gigantea[20]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Cracraft  | 
|||||
| 
 Paracrax wetmorei [20]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Cracraft  | 
 Late Oligocene  | 
 Brule Formation  | 
|||
| 
 Petronia brevirostris [12]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Tchernov  | 
 Middle Pleistocene  | 
 Ubeidiya Formation  | 
 A Passeridae.  | 
||
| 
 Puffinus calhouni [11]  | 
 Sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Howard  | 
 Late Miocene  | 
||||
| 
 Tutor dementievi [14]  | 
 Gen. et sp. nov.  | 
 Valid  | 
 Kurochkin  | 
 Middle Oligocene  | 
 Tatal-Gol  | 
 An Accipitridae, jr syn of Venerator dementievi  | 
||
Sauropterygians
    
    Plesiosaurs
    
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
 Gen et sp nov  | 
 jr synonym  | 
 Thurmond  | 
 junior synonym of Trinacromerum  | 
|||||
Synapsids
    
    Mammaliformes
    
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
 Gen et sp nov  | 
 Valid  | 
 Crompton & Jenkins  | 
 | |||||
References
    
- 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.
 -  Wolfe, J.A. (1968). "Paleogene Biostratigraphy of nonmarine rocks in King County, Washington".  (Report). Professional Paper. Vol. 571. United States Geological Survey. pp. 1–29. doi:10.3133/pp571. 
{{cite report}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) -  Wolfe, J.A. (1977). "Paleogene floras from the Gulf of Alaska region".  (Report). Professional Paper. Vol. 997. United States Geological Survey. pp. 1–108. doi:10.3133/pp997. 
{{cite report}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - Wolfe, J.A.; Wehr, W.C. (1987). Middle Eocene dicotyledonous plants from Republic, northeastern Washington (Report). Bulletin. Vol. 1597. United States Geological Survey. pp. 1–25. doi:10.3133/b1597.
 - MacGinitie, H.D. (1941). A Middle Eocene Flora from the Central Sierra Nevada (Report). Contributions to Paleontology. Vol. 534. Washington, D.C.: Carnegie Institution of Washington. p. 116.
 - Potbury, S.S. (1935). "The La Porte flora of Plumas County, California". Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication. 63 (5): 29–82.
 - Huegele, I.B.; Zhu, H.; Zhao, B.; Wang, Y.-F.; Manchester, S. R. (2021). "Trans-Beringial Distribution of Platimeliphyllum (Platanaceae) in the Eocene of Eastern Asia and Western North America". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 183 (2): 139–153. doi:10.1086/717692. S2CID 239529168.
 - Rice, H.M.A. (1968). "Two Tertiary sawflies, (Hymenoptera - Tenthredinidae), from British Columbia". Geological Survey of Canada. 67 (59): 1–21.
 - Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
 - Rozhdestvensky. A.K. 1968. Hadrosaurs of Kazakhstan. In: Upper Paleozoic and Mesozoic Amphibians and Reptiles (Tatarinov, L.P., et al., eds.). Akademia Nauk S.S.S.R. Moscow: pp. 97- 141.
 - Howard, H (1968). "Tertiary Birds from Laguna Hills, Orange County, California" (PDF). Museum of Natural History of Los Angeles County, Contributions in Science. 142: 1–21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-07. Retrieved 2014-12-03.
 - Tchernov, E (1968). "A Preliminary Investigation of the Birds on the Pleistocene Deposits of Ubeidia". Publications of the Israel Academy of Science and Humanities. 1968: 1–44.
 - Cracraft, J (1968). "A Review of the Bathornithidae (Aves: Gruiformes), with Remarks on the Relationships of the Suborder Cariamae" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (2326): 1–46.
 - Kurochkin, EN (1968). "[Fossil Remains of Birds from Mongolia]". Ornithologiya. 9: 323–330.
 - Feduccia, A (1968). "The Pliocene Rails of North America" (PDF). Auk. 85 (July): 441–453. doi:10.2307/4083293. JSTOR 4083293.
 - Kurochkin, EN (1968). "New Oligocene Birds from Kazakhstan". Paleontological Journal. 2: 83–90.
 - Aslanova, SM; Burchak-Abramovich, NI (1968). "A Fossil Swan from the Maykopian Series of Azerbaydzhan" (PDF). Auk. 85 (July): 441–453.
 - Scarlett, RJ (1968). "An Owlet-Nightjar from New-Zealand" (PDF). Notornis. 15: 254–266. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2014-12-04.
 - Storrs L. Olson, Jean Chr. Balouet & C. T. Fisher (1987). "The Owlet-Nightjar of New Caledonia, Aegotheles savesi, with Comments on the Systematics of the Aegothelidae". De Giervalk / Le Gerfaut. 77: 341–352.
 - Cracraft, J (1968). "A Review of the Bathornithidae (Aves: Gruiformes), with Remarks on the Relationships of the Suborder Cariamae" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (2326): 1–46.
 




