1950 in paleontology

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Paleontology or palaeontology (from Greek: paleo, "ancient"; ontos, "being"; and logos, "knowledge") 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 1950.

Dinosaurs

Newly named dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.^[2]

Name	Status	Authors		Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Acrocanthosaurus[3]	Valid taxon	Stovall	Langston	late Aptian-early Albian	Antlers Formation Cloverly Formation Twin Mountains Formation	United States	A carcharodontosaurid.	Pachyrhinosaurus canadensis
Pachyrhinosaurus[4]	Valid taxon	C. M. Sternberg		Edmontonian	Horseshoe Canyon Formation	Canada	A centrosaurine.

Plesiosaurs

• Plesiosaur gastroliths documented.^[5]

Synapsids

Non-mammalian

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Kitchingia	Junior synonym	Broom and George	Late Permian	Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone	South Africa	A junior synonym of Rhachiocephalus.
Leontosaurus	Junior synonym	Broom and George	Late Permian	Dicynodon Assemblage Zone	South Africa	A junior synonym of Sycosaurus.
Silphoictidoides	Valid	Friedrich von Huene	Late Permian	Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone	Tanzania	A member of Gorgonopsia.
Theropsodon	Valid	Friedrich von Huene	Middle Triassic	Cynognathus Assemblage Zone	Tanzania	A traversodontid.
Tigrisaurus	Junior synonym	Broom and George	Late Permian	Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone	South Africa	A junior synonym of Dinogorgon.

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. Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Retrieved 2008-08-07.
3. Stovall, J.W. and W. Langston. 1950. Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, a new genus and species of Lower Cretaceous Theropoda from Oklahoma. American Midland Naturalist 43 (3): pp. 696-728.
4. Sternberg, C.H. 1950. Pachyrhinosaurus canadensis, representing a new family of Ceratopsia. Bull. Natl. Mus. Can. 118: pp. 109- 120.
5. Shuler (1950). Sanders, Manley, and Carpenter (2001), "Table 12.1" page 167.

• 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.
• Shuller; 1950; A new elasmosaur from the Eagle Ford shale of Texas - The elasmosaur and its environment (Part II); University press in Dallas southern Methodist University. Fondren Science Series pp. 1–32