1954 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 1954.

Plants

Angiosperms

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Amyridoxylon[2]	Gen et sp nov		Kruse	Early Eocene	Green River Formation	USA Wyoming	A rutaceous petrified wood. The type species is A. ordinatum
Aspidospermoxylon[2]	Gen et sp nov		Kruse	Early Eocene	Green River Formation	USA Wyoming	An apocynaceous petrified wood. The type species is A. uniseriatum
Chandlera[3]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Scott	Middle Eocene	Clarno Formation	USA Oregon	A moon seed genus. Type species C. lacunosa.
Edenoxylon[2]	Gen et sp nov		Kruse	Early Eocene	Green River Formation	USA Wyoming	An anacaridaceous petrified wood. The type species is E. parviareolatum
Fagara biseriata[2]	Sp nov		Kruse	Early Eocene	Green River Formation	USA Wyoming	A rutaceous petrified wood.
Fagara monophylloides[2]	Sp nov		Kruse	Early Eocene	Green River Formation	USA Wyoming	A rutaceous petrified wood.
Forchhammerioxylon[2]	Gen et sp nov		Kruse	Early Eocene	Green River Formation	USA Wyoming	A resedaceous petrified wood. The type species is F. scleroticum
Heveoxylon[2]	Gen et sp nov		Kruse	Early Eocene	Green River Formation	USA Wyoming	A euphorbiaceous petrified wood. The type species is H. microporosum
Juglans clarnensis[3]	Sp nov	valid	Scott	Middle Eocene	Clarno Formation	USA Oregon	A walnut.
Mastixioidiocarpum oregonense[3]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Scott	Middle Eocene	Clarno Formation	USA Oregon	A Tupelo relative
Myrica scalariformis[2]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Kruse	Early Eocene	Green River Formation	USA Wyoming	An Eden Valley petrified wood. Moved to Morella scalariformis in 2021[4]
Odontocaryoidea[3]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Scott	Middle Eocene	Clarno Formation	USA Oregon	A moon seed genus. Type species O. nodulosa.
Palaeonyssa spatulata[3]	sp nov	jr synonym	Scott	Middle Eocene	Clarno Formation	USA	A Tupelo, moved to Nyssa spatulata in 1994
Palaeophytocrene hancockii[3]	Sp nov	valid	Scott	Middle Eocene	Clarno Formation	USA Oregon	An icacinaceous species.
Palaeophytocrene pseudopersica[3]	Sp nov	valid	Scott	Middle Eocene	Clarno Formation	USA Oregon	An icacinaceous species.
Parthenocissus angustisulcata[3]	Sp nov	valid	Scott	Middle Eocene	Clarno Formation	USA Oregon	A vitaceous species
Schinoxylon[2]	Gen et sp nov		Kruse	Early Eocene	Green River Formation	USA Wyoming	An anacaridaceous petrified wood. The type species is S. actinoporosum
Suriana inordinata[2]	Sp nov		Kruse	Early Eocene	Green River Formation	USA Wyoming	A surianaceous petrified wood.
Talauma multiperforata[2]	Sp nov		Kruse	Early Eocene	Green River Formation	USA Wyoming	An Eden Valley petrified wood.
Trochodendroxylon beckii[5]	Sp nov	valid	Hergert & Phinney	Middle Eocene	Clarno Formation	USA Oregon	A Trochodendron wood species. Moved to Trochodendron beckii in 1982

Arthropods

Insects

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Parastylotermes frazieri[6]	Sp. nov	valid	Snyder	Miocene		USA	A Stylotermitid termite.

Archosauromorphs

Phytosaurs

Name	Status	Authors		Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Coburgosuchus[7]	Valid taxon	Heller		Late Triassic (Norian)	Burgsandstein Formation	Germany	A member of Pseudopalatinae.

Dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.^[8]

Name	Status	Authors		Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Mamenchisaurus[9]	Valid taxon	Yang Zhongjian (as Young C. C.)		Late Jurassic (late Callovian-early Oxfordian)	Shangshaximiao Formation	China	A mamenchisaurid. The type species is M. constructus. This animal had a neck of more than 10 meters.	Mamenchisaurus
Rebbachisaurus[10]	Valid taxon	René Lavocat		Middle Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian)	Kem Kem Beds	Morocco Niger Tunisia	A rebbachisaurid.	Rebbachisaurus
Therizinosaurus[11]	Valid taxon	Evgeny Maleev		Late Cretaceous (late Campanian-early Maastrichtian)	Nemegt Formation	Mongolia	A therizinosaurid.	Therizinosaurus

Synapsids

Pelycosaurs

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Location	Notes	Images
Phreatophasma	Valid	Ivan Yefremov	Middle Permian	Russia	A synapsid of uncertain affinities, perhaps a caseid.

Eutherians

Cetaceans

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Leptodelphis	Valid	Kirpichnikov	Middle Miocene (Sarmatian)		Russia	A member of Kentriodontidae.
Sarmatodelphis	Valid	Kirpichnikov	Middle Miocene (Sarmatian)		Moldova	A kentriodontid.