2011 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 2011.

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Protozoa

New taxa

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Vetufebrus[2]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Poinar	Burdigalian	Dominican amber	Dominican Republic	A Plasmodiidae vectored by the bat fly Enischnomyia stegosoma	Vetufebrus ovatus

Plants

Ferns and fern allies

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Drynaria callispora[3]	Sp nov		Su et al	Pliocene	Sanying Formation	China		A Drynaria species fern
Equisetum thermale[4]	sp. nov	Valid	Channing, Zamuner, Edwards, & Guido	Callovian - Tithonian	La Matilde Formation	Argentina		oldest crown group Equisetum species

Gymnosperms

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Agathoxylon byeongpungense[5]	comb nov		(Kim et al.) Oh et al.	Cretaceous (Aptian - Albian)	Donghwachi Formation	South Korea		An Araucariaceous wood
Agathoxylon kiiense[5]	comb nov		(Ogura) Oh et al.	Cretaceous (Aptian - Albian)	Togeum Formation	South Korea		An Araucariaceous wood
Agathoxylon togeumense[5]	Sp nov		Oh et al.	Cretaceous (Aptian - Albian)	Togeum Formation	South Korea		An Araucariaceous wood
Cariria[6]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Kunzmann et al.	Aptian	Crato Formation	Brazil		A possible gnetophyte
Cupressus guangxiensis[7]	Sp nov		Shi et al.	Oligocene	Ningming Formation	China		A cuprecaceous foliage/cone species
Hughmillerites[8]	Gen et comb nov		Rothwell et al.	Jurassic Kimmeridgian	Kimmeridge Clay Formation	UK  Scotland	Conites juddii (1913)	A cuprecaceous cone morphotaxon The type species is H. juddii
Pinus arnoldii[9]	Syn nov	Valid	Miller	Eocene Ypresian	Allenby Formation Princeton chert	Canada  British Columbia	Pinus similkameenensis (1973)[10]	A permineralized pine An amplified "whole plant reconstruction" including P. similkameenensis foliage/wood
Protaxodioxylon turolense[11]	Sp nov		Vozenin-Serra	Cretaceous late Albian	Utrillas Formation	Spain		A cupressaceous wood
Qataniaria[12]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Krassilov & Schrank	Albian	Hatira Formation	Israel		A gymnosperm pollen morphotype
Schizolepis daohugouensis[13]	Sp nov		Zhang et al.	Jurassic	Daohugou flora	China		A pinaceous relative

Gymnosperm research

• An amplified whole plant reconstruction of the Ypresian Princeton chert pine Pinus arnoldii, expanding the diagnosis to include P. similkameenensis (Miller, 1973) foliage and wood plus unnamed pollens cones found in attachment to the P. arnoldii ovulate cones is published by Klymiuk, Stockey, & Rothwell.^[9]

Angiosperms

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Ficus palaeoracemosa[14]	Sp nov		Srivastava, Srivastava, & Mehrotra	Early Miocene	Kasauli Formation	India		A fig leaf morphospecies
Leefructus[15]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Sun, Dilcher, Wang, & Chen	Early Cretaceous	Yixian Formation	China		A basal eudicot
Oemleria janhartfordae[16]	Species	Valid	Benedict, DeVore, & Pigg	Eocene Ypresian	Okanagan Highlands Klondike Mountain Formation	USA  Washington		An Osoberry flower
Palmoxylon lametaei[17]	Species	Valid	Dutta, Ambwani, & Estrada-Ruiz	Maastrichtian	Lameta Formation	India		A palm wood morphospecies
Prunus cathybrownae[16]	Species	Valid	Benedict, DeVore, & Pigg	Eocene Ypresian	Okanagan Highlands Klondike Mountain Formation	USA  Washington		A cherry flower species	Prunus cathybrownae

Nematoda

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Formicodiplogaster[18]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Poinar	Burdigalian	Dominican amber	Dominican Republic	A diplogasterid nematode The type species is F. myrmenema parasite of Azteca species ants	Formicodiplogaster myrmenema

Lobopods

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Diania cactiformis[19]		Valid	Liu et al.	Lower Cambrian	Maotianshan shale	China	A lobopodian.
Mureropodia apae		Valid	Gamez Vintaned, Linan, & Zhuravlev	Early Cambrian	Murero	Spain	A lobopodian.
Siberion lenaicus		Valid	Dzik	Early Cambrian	Sinsk Formation	Russia	A lobopodian.

Vetulicolians

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Ooedigera peeli[20]	gen. nov	valid	Zinther, et al.	Early Cambrian	Sirius Passet	Greenland	earliest known vetulicolian described	Artist's reconstruction

Molluscs

Main article: List of gastropods described in 2011 § Fossil gastropods

Arthropods

Main article: 2011 in arthropod paleontology

Fishes

Main article: 2011 in paleoichthyology

Amphibians

Newly named lepospondyls

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Kirktonecta[21]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Clack	Viséan	East Kirkton Quarry	Scotland	A microsaur.
Tambaroter[22]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Henrici Martens et al.[CAL 1]	Early Permian	Tambach Formation	Germany	An ostodolepid.

Newly named temnospondyls

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Acheloma dunni[23]	Species	Valid	Polley Reisz	Early Permian		USA	A trematopid.
Calmasuchus[24]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Fortuny Galobart De Santisteban	early-middle Anisian	Catalan basin	Spain	A capitosaurian.
Rotaryus[25]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Berman Henrici et al.[CAL 2]	Early Permian	Tambach Formation	Germany	A trematopid.
Rubeostratilia[26]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Bourget Anderson	Early Permian		USA	An amphibamid.	Rubeostratilia texensis.

Newly named lissamphibians

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Urupia[27]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Skutschas Krasnolutskii	Bathonian	Itat Formation	Russia	A basal stem salamander.

Basal reptiles

Newly named captorhinids

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Gansurhinus[28]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Reisz Liu et al.[CAL 3]	Middle Permian		China	A moradisaurine captorhinid.

Newly named basal diapsids

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Orovenator[29]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Reisz Modesto Scott	Sakmarian		USA	The oldest and most basal neodiapsid.

Newly named ichthyosaurs

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Sveltonectes[30]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Fischer Masure et al.[CAL 4]	Barremian		Russia	An ophthalmosaurid.

Lepidosauromorphs

Newly named saurosphargids

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Sinosaurosphargis[31]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Li Rieppel et al.[CAL 5]	Middle Anisian	Guanling Formation	China	An incertae sedis.

Newly named sauropterygians

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Abyssosaurus[32]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Berezin	Late Hauterivian		Russia	An aristonectid.
Diandongosaurus[33]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Shang Wu Li	Middle Anisian	Guanling Formation	China	A relative of nothosauroids.[34]
Dianopachysaurus[35]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Liu Rieppel et al.[CAL 6]	Middle Anisian	Guanling Formation	China	A keichousaurid pachypleurosaur.
Hauffiosaurus tomistomimus[36]	Species	Valid	Benson Ketchum et al.[CAL 7]	Early Toarcian	Whitby Limestone Formation	England	A second species of Hauffiosaurus.
Marmornectes[37]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Ketchum Benson	Callovian	Oxford Clay Formation	United Kingdom	A pliosaurid.
Westphaliasaurus[38]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Schwermann Sander	Pliensbachian	Höxter district	Germany	A plesiosaurid plesiosaur.
Zarafasaura[39]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Vincent Bardet et al.[CAL 8]	Maastrichtian		Morocco	An elasmosaurid plesiosaur.

Newly named lizards

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Brasiliguana[40]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Nava Martinelli	Turonian/Santonian	Adamantina Formation	Brazil	An iguanian lizard.
Cryptolacerta[41]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Müller Hipsley et al.[CAL 9]	Lutetian	Messel pit	Germany	An amphisbaenian lizard.
Latoplatecarpus[42]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Konishi Caldwell	Campanian	Pierre Shale Formation Demopolis Chalk Formation	Canada  USA	A plioplatecarpine mosasaur. Its type species is Latoplatecarpus willistoni; "Plioplatecarpus" nichollsae (Cuthbertson et al.., 2007) is a second species of Latoplatecarpus.
Oreithyia[43][44]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Smith	Eocene (Chadronian)		United States	A member of Corytophanidae. The type species is Oreithyia oaklandi.
Plesioplatecarpus[42]	Gen. et comb.	Valid	Konishi Caldwell	Middle Coniacian to middle Santonian.	Niobrara Chalk Eutaw Formation	USA	A plioplatecarpine mosasaur, a new genus for "Clidastes" planifrons (Cope, 1874).
Queironius[43]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Smith	Eocene (Chadronian)		United States	A relative of the desert iguana. The type species is Queironius praelapsus.
Sauropithecoides[43]	Gen. et comb. nov	Valid	Smith	Eocene (Chadronian)		United States	A member of Polychrotidae; a new genus for "Polychrus" charisticus Smith (2006).

Newly named snakes

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Madtsoia pisdurensis[45]	Species	Valid	Mohabey Head Wilson	Late Cretaceous		India	A madtsoiid snake.

Turtles

Newly named turtles

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Albertwoodemys[46]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Gaffney Meylan et al.[CAL 10]	Early Oligocene	Jebel Qatrani Formation	Egypt	A podocnemidid.
Brontochelys[46]	Gen. et comb.	Valid	Gaffney Meylan et al.	Early Miocene		Pakistan	A podocnemidid, a new genus for "Shweboemys" gaffneyi.
Cordichelys[46]	Gen. et comb.	Valid	Gaffney Meylan et al.	Late Eocene	Qasr el-Sagha beds	Egypt	A podocnemidid, a new genus for "Podocnemis" antiqua.
Gilmoremys[47]	Gen. et comb.	Valid	Joyce Lyson	Maastrichtian	Lance Formation Hell Creek Formation	USA	A softshell turtle, new genus for "Aspideretes" lancensis (Gilmore, 1928).
Graptemys kerneri[48]	Sp. nov	Valid	Ehret & Bourque	Late Pleistocene		United States	An emydid, a species of Graptemys.
Hispaniachelys[49]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Slater Reolid et al.[CAL 11]	Oxfordian	Lorente Formation	Spain	A paracryptodire or a basal testudine.
Hoplochelys clark[50]	Species	Valid	Joyce Lyson et al.[CAL 12]	Maastrichtian	Hell Creek Formation	USA	A kinosternoid, a species of Hoplochelys.
Lapparentemys[46]	Gen. et comb.	Valid	Gaffney Meylan et al.	Paleocene	Santa Lucía Formation	Bolivia	A podocnemidid, a new genus for "Roxochelys" vilavilensis.
Latentemys[46]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Gaffney Meylan et al.	Uncertain, possibly Miocene.	Uncertain, possibly Moghara Formation.	Egypt?	A podocnemidid.
Lemurchelys[46]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Gaffney Meylan et al.	Early Miocene	Moghara Formation	Egypt	A podocnemidid.
Mogharemys[46]	Gen. et comb.	Valid	Gaffney Meylan et al.	Miocene		Egypt	A podocnemidid, a new genus for "Sternothaerus" blanckenhorni.
Oliveremys[51]	Gen. et comb. nov.	Valid	Vitek	Eocene	Washakie Formation	USA	A trionychid, a new genus for "Trionyx" uintaensis.
Patagoniaemys[52]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Sterli De la Fuente	Campanian - Maastrichtian	La Colonia Formation	Argentina	A stem turtle.
Peiropemys[46]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Gaffney Meylan et al.	Late Cretaceous	Marília Formation	Brazil	A podocnemidid.
Pricemys[46]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Gaffney Meylan et al.	Late Cretaceous	Marília Formation	Brazil	A podocnemidid.
Prochelidella cerrobarcinae[53]	Species	Valid	de la Fuente Umazano et al.[CAL 13]	Aptian/Albian	Cerro Barcino Formation	Argentina	The oldest known chelid, a species of Prochelidella.
Selenemys[54]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Pérez-García Ortega	Upper Kimmeridgian	Lusitanian Basin	Portugal	A pleurosternid.
Sokatra[55]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Gaffney Krause	Maastrichtian	Maevarano Formation	Madagascar	A pleurodiran.
Trionyx ikoviensis[56]	Species	Valid	Danilov Zvonok et al.[CAL 14]	Middle Eocene		Ukraine	A species of Trionyx sensu lato.
Wilburemys[57]	Gen. et sp. nov	Valid	Martin & Mallory	Late Miocene-Pliocene (Hemphillian-Blancan)	Ellensburg Formation	USA  Washington	An emydine Emydidae pond turtle. The type species is W. yakimensis.

Archosauromorphs

Newly named basal archosauromorphs

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Archeopelta[58]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Desojo Ezcurra Schultz	Late Ladinian/Early Carnian	Santa Maria Formation	Brazil	A member of Archosauriformes of uncertain phylogenetic placement. Originally classified as a doswelliid, but subsequently argued to be an erpetosuchid archosaur.[59]	Archeopelta arborensis
Augustaburiania[60]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Sennikov	Early Triassic	Don River Basin	Russia	The earliest tanystropheid.
Kyrgyzsaurus[61]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Alifanov Kurochkin	Late Ladinian/Early Carnian	Madygen Formation	Kyrgyzstan	The earliest drepanosaurid.
Protanystropheus[60]	Gen. et comb.	Valid	Sennikov	Middle - Late Triassic		Austria  Germany  Netherlands  Poland	A tanystropheid, a new genus for "Tanystropheus" antiquus (von Huene, 1905).

Archosaurs

Main article: 2011 in archosaur paleontology

Synapsids

Newly named non-mammalian synapsids

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Annatherapsidus postum[62]	Sp.	Valid	Ivakhnenko	Late Permian		Russia	A therocephalian.
Basilodon[63]	Gen. et comb.	Valid	Kammerer Angielczyk Fröbisch	Late Permian		South Africa	A dicynodont. A new genus for "Dicynodon" woodwardi.
Bridetherium[64]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Clemens	Early Jurassic		United Kingdom	A morganucodontan.
Candelariodon[65]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	De Oliveira Schultz et al.[CAL 15]	Middle Triassic	Santa Maria Formation	Brazil	A carnivorous cynodont.
Cryptovenator[66]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Fröbisch Schoch et al.[CAL 16]	Late Gzhelian	Remigiusberg Formation	Germany	A sphenacodontid pelycosaur. The type species is Cryptovenator hirschbergeri.
Euptychognathus[63]	Gen. et comb.	Valid	Kammerer Angielczyk Fröbisch	Late Permian		South Africa	A dicynodont. A new genus for "Dicynodon" bathyrhynchus.
Euromycter[67]	Gen. et comb.	Valid	Reisz Maddin et al.[CAL 17]	Upper Sakmarian - Lower Lopingian	Grès Rouge Group	France	A large caseid. A new genus for "Casea" rutena.
Gorochovetzia[62]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Ivakhnenko	Late Permian		Russia	A therocephalian.
Keyseria[63]	Gen. et comb.	Valid	Kammerer Angielczyk Fröbisch	Late Permian		South Africa	A dicynodont. A new genus for "Dicynodon" benjamini.
Muchia[62]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Ivakhnenko	Late Permian		Russia	A therocephalian.
Paceyodon[64]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Clemens	Early Jurassic		United Kingdom	A morganucodontan.
Peramodon[63]	Gen. et comb.	Valid	Kammerer Angielczyk Fröbisch	Late Permian		Russia	A dicynodont. A new genus for "Dicynodon" amalitzkii
Perplexisaurus lepusculus[62]	Species	Valid	Ivakhnenko	Middle Permian		Russia	A therocephalian.
Purlovia[62]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Ivakhnenko	Late Permian		Russia	A therocephalian with a short skull.	Purlovia
Ruthenosaurus[67]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Reisz Maddin et al.[CAL 17]	Upper Sakmarian - Lower Lopingian	Grès Rouge Group	France	A large caseid. The type species is Ruthenosaurus russellorum
Syops[63]	Gen. et comb.	Valid	Kammerer Angielczyk Fröbisch	Late Permian		South Africa	A dicynodont. A new genus for "Dicynodon" vanhoepeni.
Tiarajudens[68]	Gen. et sp.	Valid	Cisneros Abdala et al.[CAL 18]	Capitanian	Rio do Rasto Formation	Brazil	A basal, saber-toothed herbivorous anomodont. The type species is Tiarajudens eccentricus.

Mammals

Main article: 2011 in mammal paleontology