1985 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 1985.

Molluscs

Bivalves

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Oryzoconcha[2]	gen et sp nov	not valid	He & Pei	Early Cambrian	Henan province	China	synonym of Pojetaia runnegari
Tuarangia[3]	Ord, Supfam, fam, gen et sp nov	valid	MacKinnon	late Middle Cambrian	Tasman Formation	New Zealand	one of four accepted Cambrian bivalves

Arthropods

Insects

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Azteca alpha[4]	Sp nov	valid	Poinar	Burdigalian	Dominican Amber	Dominican Republic	A dolichoderine ant	Azteca alpha
Azteca eumeces[4]	Sp nov	valid	Poinar	Burdigalian	Dominican Amber	Dominican Republic	A dolichoderine ant
Dominickus[5]	gen et sp. nov	valid	Tindale	Priabonian	Florissant Formation	USA	A castniid butterfly-moth, monotypic

Echinoderms

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Castericystis[6]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Ubaghs & Robison	Middle Cambrian	Marjum Formation	United States	A solutan.	Castericystis
Marjumicystis[6]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Ubaghs & Robison	Middle Cambrian	Marjum Formation	United States	An eocrinoid.

Fish

Newly named Cartilaginous fish

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Lissodus wirksworthensis[7]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Duffin	Early Carboniferous	Eyam Limestone	United Kingdom	A hybodont, moved to Reesodus wirksworthensis in 2013[8]

Archosauromorphs

• Psittacosaurus gastroliths documented.^[9]

Newly named pseudosuchians

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Postosuchus[10]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Chatterjee	Carnian–Norian	Cooper Canyon Formation Chinle Formation Newark Supergroup	United States	A rauisuchid.

Newly named pterosaurs

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Anhanguera	Gen et sp	Valid	Campos & Kellner	Aptian	Crato Formation	Brazil	A pterodactyloid belonging to Anhangueridae.	Anhanguera santanae
"Palaeolimnornis"[11]	Gen et sp nov	Nomen nudum	Jurcsák & Kessler	Early Cretaceous	Bauxite mine	Romania	An informal name applied to Palaeocursornis. An azhdarchoid pterosaur.[12]

Newly named non-avian dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.^[13]

Name	Status	Authors		Location	Notes	Images
Abelisaurus[14]	Valid taxon	Jose Bonaparte	Novas	Argentina	A short-handed Flesh-eating Dinosaur.	Abelisaurus
"Aliwalia"[15]	Junior synonym.	Peter Galton			Junior subjective synonym of Eucnemosaurus.
Blikanasaurus[16]	Valid taxon	Peter Galton	van Heerden	South Africa
Camelotia[17]	Valid taxon	Peter Galton		UK	A British Melanorosaur.	Camelotia
Carnotaurus[18]	Valid taxon	Jose Bonaparte		Argentina	An Abelisaurid. The Horned Cheetah of the Cretaceous.	Carnotaurus
"Dachungosaurus"[19]	Nomen nudum.	Zhao X. (as Chao S.)
"Dystylosaurus"[20]	Junior synonym.	James A. Jensen			Junior synonym of Supersaurus.
Gasosaurus[21]	Valid taxon	Dong Zhiming		China		Gasosaurus
"Mifunesaurus"	Nomen nudum	Hisa		Japan
"Moshisaurus"	Nomen nudum.	Hisa
"Oshanosaurus"[19]	Nomen nudum.	Zhao X. (as Chao S.)
"Sanchusaurus"	Nomen nudum	Hisa
Supersaurus[20]	Valid taxon	James A. Jensen		Portugal USA ( Colorado)		Supersaurus
"Ultrasaurus"[20]	Preoccupied name.	James A. Jensen			Preoccupied by Kim H. M., 1983 and renamed Ultrasauros.
"Xuanhuasaurus"[19]	Nomen nudum.	Zhao X. (as Chao S.)			Later renamed Xuanhuaceratops in 2006

Literature on fossil birds

• Storrs Olson: the fossil record of birds ^[22]

Newly named birds

Name	Status	Novelty	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Aegialornis szarskii [23]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Dieter S. Peters	Middle Eocene	Messel pit, MP 11	Germany	An Aegialornithidae
Amphipelargus dzabghanensis [24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Late Miocene-Pliocene	Chono-Harayah	Mongolia	A Gruiformes, Eogruidae
Anas molesta [24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Late Miocene	Hyargas Nuur 2	Mongolia	An Anatidae, transferred to the genus Aythya by Nikita V. Zelenkov [25]
Anas schneideri [26]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Steven D. Emslie	Late Pleistocene		USA	An Anatidae.
Anser tchikoicus [24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Miocene-Pliocene		Mongolia	An Anatidae.
Anthus seductus [24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Early Pliocene		Mongolia	A Motacillidae.
Avisaurus archibaldi [27]	Valid	Gen et Sp. nov.	Michael K. Brett-Surman Gregory S. Paul	Maastrichtian	Hell Creek Formation	USA ( Montana and North Dakota)	An Enantiornithes, Avisauridae Brett-Surman & Paul, 1985 this is the type species of the new genus.
Aythya magna [24]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Early Pliocene	Hyargas Nuur Formation	Mongolia	An Anatidae.
Aythya shihuibas [28]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Hou Lianhai	Late Miocene		China	An Anatidae, Nikita V. Zelenkov, 2012 transferred the species to his genus Protomelanitta Zelenkov, 2011.[29]
Bonibernicla ponderosa [24]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Late Miocene	Hyargas Nuur Formation	Mongolia USA	An Anatidae, this is the type species of the new genus.
Brasilogyps faustoi [30]	Valid	Gen et Sp nov.	Herculano M. F. de Alvarenga	Early Oligocene	Taubate	Brazil	A Cathartidae, this is the type species of the new genus.
Centropus colossus [31]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Robert F. Baird	Quaternary	Green Waterhole Cave	Australia	A Cuculiformes, Centropodidae.
Colius hendeyi [32]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Patricia Vickers Rich Philippa J. Haarhoff	Early Pliocene	Varswater Formation	South Africa	A Coliidae.
Corvus solitus [24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Miocene-Late Pliocene		Mongolia	A Corvidae.
Diangallus mious [28]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Hou Lianhai	Late Miocene		China	A Phasianidae, this is the type species of the new genus.
Egretta subfluvia [33]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Jonathan J. Becker	Late Miocene	Early Hemphillian	USA: Florida	An Ardeidae.
Eudromia olsoni [34]	Valid	Nom. nov.	Claudia P. Tambussi Eduardo P. Tonni	Late Pliocene	Monte Hermoso Formation	Argentina	A Tinamidae, new name for the preoccupied Tinamisornis intermedius Dabbene et Lillo, 1913 = Eudromia elegans intermedia (Dabbene et Lillo, 1913).
Geronticus apelex [35]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Storrs L. Olson	Early Pliocene	Varswater Formation	South Africa	A Threskiornithidae.
Grus afghana [36]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Cécile Mourer-Chauviré Jean-Christophe Balouet Yves Jehenne Émile Heintz	Late Miocene	MN 12	Afghanistan	A Gruidae.
Haliaeetus fortis [24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Late Miocene	MN 13, Hyargas-Nuur 2	Mongolia	An Accipitridae.
Heliadornis ashbyi [37]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Storrs L. Olson	Middle Miocene	Langhian, Calvert Formation	USA Belgium Antwerp	A Phaethontidae, this is the type species of the new genus.
Limosa lacrimosa [24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Miocene-Late Pliocene		Mongolia	A Scolopacidae.
“Lophura” inferna [24]	Not Valid	Sp. nov.	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Miocene	Shaamar	Mongolia	A Phasianidae, not a Lophura, the holotype is not diagnostic to genus.[citation needed]
Melopyrrha latirostris [38]	Valid	Sp. nov.	David W. Steadman Gary S. Morgan	Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene	Cayman Brac cave deposits	Cayman Islands	A Thraupidae.
Oceanites zaloscarthmus [39]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Storrs L. Olson	Early Pliocene	Varswater Formation	South Africa	An Oceanitidae.
Oenanthe infima [24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Miocene-Late Pliocene	Sharga	Mongolia	A Muscicapidae.
Orthonyx hypsilophus [31]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Robert F. Baird	Quaternary	Green Waterhole Cave	Australia	An Orthonychidae.
Pachyptila salax [39]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Storrs L. Olson	Early Pliocene	Varswater Formation	South Africa	A Procellariidae.
Paleopsilopterus itaboraiensis [40]	Valid	Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.	Herculano M. F. de Alvarenga	Itaboraian		Brazil	A Gruiformes, Phorusrhacidae Ameghino, 1889, Psilopterinae Mathilde Dolgopol de Sáez, 1927, this is the type species of the new genus.
Palaeotodus escampsiensis [41]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Cécile Mourer-Chauviré	Late Eocene	Phosphorites du Quercy, Escamps	France	A Todidae.
Palaeotodus itardiensis [41]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Cécile Mourer-Chauviré	Oligocene	Phosphorites du Quercy	France	A Todidae.
Pandion lovensis [42]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Jonathan J. Becker	Latest Clarendonian		USA	A Pandionidae.
Pelecanoides cymatotrypetes [39]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Storrs L. Olson	Early Pliocene	Varswater Formation	South Africa	A Pelecanoididae.
Perdix margaritae [24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Miocene-Late Pliocene	Chikoi River	Soviet Union: Russia	A Phasianidae.
Phalaropus eleonorae [24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Miocene-Late Pliocene		Mongolia	A Phalaropidae.
Phasianus lufengia [28]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Hou Lianhai	Late Miocene	Shihuiba	China	A Phasianidae.
Podiceps solidus [24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Late Miocene; Early Pliocene	Hyargas-Nuur 2: MN 13; Chono-Harayah 1 and 2 Zogsoo-Harhan 1 and 4	Mongolia	A Podicipedidae.
Pseudodontornis tenuirostris [43]	Valid ?	Sp. nov.	Colin J. O. Harrison	Late Paleocene	Oldhaven Beds	UK: England	A Pseudontornithidae, possibly a synonymym of Pseudodontornis longidentata[citation needed]
Siphonorhis daiquiri[44]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Storrs L. Olson	Quaternary, probably Holocene	Cave deposits	Cuba	A Caprimulgidae, may still be living.
Syrmaticus kozlovae [24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Miocene-Late Pliocene	Khirgis Nur Formation	Mongolia	A Phasianidae.
Syrrhaptes kashini [24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Miocene-Late Pliocene		Mongolia	A Pteroclidae.
Tadorna petrina [24]	Valid	Sp. nov.	Evgeny N. Kurochkin	Late Pliocene		Mongolia	An Anatidae.
Yunnanus gaoyuansis [28]	Valid	Gen et Sp nov.	Hou Lianhai	Late Miocene	Shihuiba	China	A Passeriformes, family Incertae Sedis, this is the type species of the new genus.

Lepidosauromorphs

Newly named pleosiosaurs

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Yuzhoupliosaurus	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Zhang	Middle Jurassic		China	A rhomaleosauride

Synapsids

Mammals

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Ictonyx bolti[45]	Sp. nov	Jr. synonym	Cooke	Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene	Bolt's Farm	South Africa	A mustelid, reassigned to the genus Propoecilogale in 1987.[46]