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 1958.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
+...

Arthropods

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Insects

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Parastylotermes calico[2]

Sp. nov

valid

Pierce

Miocene

  USA

A Stylotermitid termite.

Archosauromorphs

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Newly named non-avian dinosaurs

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

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Chingkankousaurus

Gen et sp nov

Nomen dubium

Yang (as Young C. C.)

Late Campanian

Jingangkou Formation

  China

A tyrannosauroid.

Tsintaosaurus[4]

Gen et sp nov

Valid taxon

Yang (as Young C. C.)

Late Campanian

Jingangkou Formation

  China

A lambeosaurine hadrosaurid.

 
Tsintaosaurus

Birds

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Newly named birds

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Anas apscheronica [5]

Sp. nov.

valid

Burchak-Abramovisch

Late Pliocene

Apscherion

  Azerbaijan

An Anatidae.

Bartramia umatilla [6]

Sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Middle Pliocene

  USA

  Oregon

A Scolopacidae.

Callipepla shotwelli [6]

Sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Middle Pliocene

  USA

  Oregon

An Odontophoridae.

Cygnus hibbardi [7]

Sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Early Pleistocene

Irvingtonian, Hagerman Lake Beds

  USA

  Idaho

An Anatidae.

Morus humeralis [8]

Sp. nov.

valid

Miller

Bowman

Late Pliocene

  USA

  California

A Sulidae.

Ornimegalonyx [9]

Gen. et Sp. nov.

valid

Arredondo

Late Pleistocene

  Cuba

A Strigidae, the types species of the new genus is Ornimegalonyx oteroi.

Pardirallus lacustris [7]

Sp. nov.

valid

(Brodkorb)

Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene

Hagerman and Rexroad Local Fauna

  USA

  Idaho

A Rallidae, described as Porzana lacustris but transferred by Storrs L. Olson in 1977 to Pardirallus Bonaparte, 1856.

Phalacrocorax macer [7]

Sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Late Pliocene

Irvingtonian, Glenns Ferry Formation, Hagerman Lake Beds

  USA

  Idaho

A Phalacrocoracidae.

Podiceps subparvus [8]

Sp. nov.

valid

(Miller

Bowman)

Middle Pliocene

Blancan, San Diego Formation

  USA

  California

A Podicipedidae, described as Colymbus subparvus.

Promilio epileus [10]

Sp. nov.

valid

Wetmore

Early Miocene

Thomas Farm Beds

  USA

  Florida

An Accipitridae, the type species of the genus is Proictinia effera Wetmore, 1923.

Promilio brodkorbi [10]

Sp. nov.

valid

Wetmore

Early Miocene

Thomas Farm Beds

  USA

  Florida

An Accipitridae, the type species of the genus is Proictinia effera Wetmore, 1923.

Ptychoramphus tenuis [8]

Sp. nov.

valid

Miller

Bowman

Middle Pliocene

Blancan, San Diego Formation

  USA

  California

An Alcidae.

Querandiornis [11]

Gen. et Sp. nov.

valid

Rusconi

Late Pliocene

Ensenada Formation

  Argentina

A Furnariidae, Dendrocolaptinae, The type species is Querandiornis romani, described in the Tinamiidae, transferred by Tonni & Tambussi, 1986 to Aves Incertae Sedis, transferred by Agnolin, 2016 to Dendrocolaptinae

Sula pohli [12]

Sp. nov.

valid

Howard

Late Miocene

  USA

  California

A Sulidae.

Troglodytes gracilis [13]

Sp. nov.

valid?

Brunner

Late Pleistocene

  Germany

A Troglodytidae, better seen as a Passeriformes Incertae Sedis.

Synapsids

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Non-mammalian

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Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Basicranodon Junior synonym Vaughn Early Permian   US A junior synonym of the varanopid Mycterosaurus.
Diarthrognathus Valid Crompton Early Jurassic Elliot Formation   South Africa A member of Trithelodontidae.

Other Animals

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Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Charnia Valid Ford Ediacaran Maplewell Group   United Kingdom
Charniodiscus Valid Ford Ediacaran Maplewell Group   United Kingdom
Spriggina Valid Glaessner 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. ^ Pierce, W.D. (1958). "Fossil arthropods of California. No. 21. Termites from Calico Mountains nodules" (PDF). Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences. 575 (1): 13–24.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  4. ^ Young C.-C. 1958. The dinosaurian remains of Laiyang, Shanrung. Palaeontol. Sinica (ser. C) 16: pp. 1-138.
  5. ^ Burchak-Abramovisch, Nikolaj Iosifovich (1958). "Tertiary Birds of the USSR Tertiary Birds of the USSR". Uchenie Zapiski Azerbaijan State University, Serie Biology. 1: 81–88.
  6. ^ a b Pierce Brodkorb (1958). "Birds from the Middle Pliocene of McKay, Oregon". Condor. 60 (4): 252–255. doi:10.2307/1365194. JSTOR 1365194.
  7. ^ a b c Pierce Brodkorb (1958). "Fossil Birds from Idaho". Wilson Bulletin. 70: 237–242.
  8. ^ a b c Loye Holmes Miller & Robert I. Bowman (1958). "Further Bird Remains from the San Diego Pliocene". Museum of Natural History of Los Angeles County, Contributions in Science. 20: 1–15.
  9. ^ Oscar Arredondo (1958). "Aves Gigantes de Nuestro Pasado Prehistórico, El Cartero Cubana". La Habana. XVII (7): 10–12.
  10. ^ a b Alexander Wetmore (1958). "Miscellaneous Notes on Fossil Birds". Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. 135 (8): 1–11.
  11. ^ Carlos Rusconi (1958). "Ave Fósil del Plioceno de Buenos Aires". Revista del Museo del Historia Natural de Mendoza. 11: 157–160.
  12. ^ Hildegarde Howard (1958). "Miocene Sulids of Southern California". Los Angeles County Museum Contributions in Science. 25: 3–15.
  13. ^ G. Brunner (1958). "Nachtrag zur Breitenberghöhle bei Gösswenstein Ofr". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte. 1958: 500–517.