1931 in paleontology

List of years in paleontology (table)
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In science 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934
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Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. 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 1931.

Plants

Angiosperms

Monocots

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Lysichiton washingtonense	Sp nov	Valid?	Berry	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Grand Coulee Florule	USA Washington		First described as a skunk cabbage fruit species Treated as placement incertae sedis by Chaney & Axelrod (1959)	File:Lysichiton washingtonense USNM P38621 Plate11 Fig2.jpg Lysichiton washingtonense

Superasterids - basal

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Nyssa hesperia	Sp nov	valid	Berry	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Grand Coulee Florule	USA Washington		A tuplo seed species.

Superrosids - Basal

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Vitis bonseri	Sp nov	valid	Berry	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Grand Coulee Florule	USA Washington		A grape seed species.

Superrosids - Fabids

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Hicoria washingtoniana	Sp nov	jr synonym	Berry	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Grand Coulee Florule	USA Washington		First described as a hickory species. Synonymized into Magnolia dayana	File:Magnolia dayana as Hicoria washingtoniana USNM specimen Plate11 Fig4.jpg Magnolia dayana
Quercus mccanni	Sp nov	valid	Berry	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Grand Coulee Florule	USA Washington		An oak species.	File:Quercus mccanni USNM specimen Plate11 Fig6.jpg Quercus mccanni

Superrosids - Malvids

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Ptelea miocenica	Sp nov	valid	Berry	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Grand Coulee Florule	USA Washington		An hoptree species.	File:Ptelea miocenica USNM specimen Plate12 Fig7.jpg Ptelea miocenica

Incertae sedis

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Phyllites couleeannus	Sp nov	jr synonym	Berry	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Grand Coulee Florule	USA Washington		First described as a leaf morphospecies of uncertain affinity. Moved to Amelanchier couleeana (1946)	File:Amelanchier couleeana as Phyllites couleeanus USNM specimen Plate13 Fig12.jpg Amelanchier couleeana

Arthropods

Insects

Blattoidea

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Stylotermes washingtonensis	sp. nov	Jr synonym	Snyder	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Spokane Florule	USA Washington	A Stylotermitid termite. Moved to Parastylotermes washingtonensis (1949)

Coleoptera

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Pterostichus fernquisti	sp. nov		Wickham	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Spokane Florule	USA Washington	A carabid ground beetle
Dytiscus latahensis	sp. nov		Wickham	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Spokane Florule	USA Washington	A predaceous diving beetle

Diptera

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Elephantomyia baltica	Sp. nov	valid	Alexander	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Russia	A Limoniid cranefly

Hemiptera

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Latahcoris	Gen et sp. nov		Cockerell	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Spokane Florule	USA Washington	A tessaratomid giant stink bug The type species is L. spectatus

Hymenoptera

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Bombus proavus	Sp. nov		Cockerell	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Spokane Florule	USA Washington	A bumble bee

Hemiptera

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Miocordulia	Gen et sp. nov		Kennedy	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Spokane Florule	USA Washington	A corduliid dragonfly The type species is M. latipennis

Hemiptera

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Miopsyche	Gen et 2 sp. nov		Carpenter	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Spokane Florule	USA Washington	A northern caddisfly genus The type species is M. alexanderi Also includes M. martynovi
Phryganea spokanensis	Sp. nov		Carpenter	Miocene Langhian	Latah Formation Spokane Florule	USA Washington	A giant caddisfly species

Vertebrates

Conodonts

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Idiognathodus	Gen et sp nov	valid	Gunnell	Gzhelian	Fort Scott Limestone	USA Missouri		The type species is I. simulator

Jawless fish

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Cardipeltis	Gen est sp nov	Valid	Branson & Mehl	Devonian	Jefferson Formation	USA Utah		A heterostracan agnathan The type species is C. wallacii.	File:Cardipeltis wallacii.jpg Cardipeltis wallacii

Newly named archosauromorphs

Dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Brasileosaurus	Gen et sp nov	vald?	von Huene	Cretaceous Turonian	Adamantina Formation	Brazil		First named as a coelurosaur Deemed to be a notosuchid crocodylomorph (1937)
Carcharodontosaurus	Gen et comb nov	Valid	Stromer	Cretaceous Cenomanian	Bahariya Formation	Egypt	Megalosaurus saharicus (1925) Dryptosaurus saharicus (1925)	A carcharodontosaurid	File:Carcharodontosaurus saharicus skeletal.jpg Carcharodontosaurus saharicus
Embasaurus	Gen et sp nov	valid?	Riabinin	Cretaceous Berriasian	Neocomian sands	Kazakhstan		A theropod of uncertain placement. The type species is E. minax
Orthogoniosaurus	Gen et sp nov	Nomen dubium?	Das-Gupta	Late Cretaceous	Lameta Formation	India		An indeterminate theropod tooth-taxon. The type species is O. matleyi
Tetragonosaurus	Gen et comb nov	Rejected name	Parks	Cretaceous Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Canada		First described as a small "cheneosaurine" hadrosaur. The type species is T. praeceps name suppressed by ICZN in favor of Procheneosaurus. Species redescribed as juvenile Lambeosaurus lambei (1975)	File:Procheneosaurus.jpg Lambeosaurus lambei

Synapsids

Non-mammalian

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Location	Notes	Images
Cerataelurus	Junior synonym of Pristerodon.
Ericiolacerta	Valid	Watson	250 Millions of years ago.	Antarctica South Africa	Despite the meaning of his name, it was not related to lizards.	File:Ericiolacerta BW.jpg Ericiolacerta
Euchambersia	Valid	Broom
Ictidostoma	Valid	Broom	261 Millions of years ago.	South Africa
Ictidosuchoides	Valid	Broom	257 Millions of years ago.	South Africa		File:Ictidosuchoides.jpg Ictidosuchoides
Keratocephalus	Valid	Huene	261 Millions of years ago.	South Africa	A protomammal with strange bumps on its head.	File:KeratocephalusDB.jpg Keratocephalus
Lycideops	Valid	Broom	257 Millions of years ago.	South Africa
Megacyclops	Junior synonym of Neomegacyclops.
Neomegacyclops	Valid	Boonstra