Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoriclife 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 1980.
Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[8]
Note: the name Lancangosaurus[9] is mistakenly treated as a nomen nudum synonymous with Datousaurus (because Dong et al. 1983 believed it to be conspecific with Datousaurus). However, it is actually an early spelling variant of another nomen nudum, Lancangjiangosaurus.
Described as a Ratitae, transferred to the Craciformes, Megapodiidae and placed in its own family Sylviornithidae[34] by Mourer-Chauviré & Balouet, 2005, this is the type species of the new genus.
