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 1963.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
+...

Arthropods

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Newly named insects

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Propelma[2]

Gen et sp. nov

valid

Trjapitzin

Eocene

Baltic amber

  Europe

A eupelmid wasp.
Type species P. rohdendorfi

 

Vertebrates

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Archosauromorphs

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

"Triassolestes"[3]

Gen et sp nov

preoccupied

Reig

Carnian

A Crocodylomorph,
Preoccupied by Triassolestes Tillyard 1918.
Renamed Trialestes.

Dinosauria

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Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[4]

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images
Herrerasaurus[3] Valid taxon

Late Triassic (Carnian)

Ischigualasto Formation

A herrerasaurid. This was an early flesh-eating dinosaur.

 
"Ischisaurus"[3] Junior synonym of Herrerasaurus

Late Triassic (Carnian)

A herrerasaurid.

"Tanystrosuchus"[5] Nomen dubium.
  • Kuhn

Late Triassic (Norian)

Stubensandstein

Either a theropod or shuvosaurid.

Birds

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Agriocharis anza[6]

Sp. nov.

synonym

Howard

Middle Pleistocene

Palm Spring Formation

A Phasianidae, a synonym of Meleagris anza

Anas itchtucknee[7]

Sp. nov.

valid

McCoy

Late Pleistocene

An Anatidae.

Aphanocrex podarces[8]

Gen. nov et Sp. nov.

valid

Wetmore

Holocene

St. Helena

A Rallidae.

Brantadorna downsi[6]

Gen. Nov. et Sp. nov.

valid

Howard

Middle Pleistocene

Palm Spring Formation

An Anatidae.

Bucephala fossilis[6]

Sp. nov.

valid

Howard

Middle Pleistocene

Palm Spring Formation

An Anatidae.

Calidris rayi[9]

Sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Early Pliocene

A Scolopacidae.

Ceramornis major[10]

Gen. et Sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Late Maastrichtian

Lance Formation

A Cimolopterygidae Brodkporb, 1963.

Cimolopteryx maxima[10]

Sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Late Maastrichtian

Lance Formation

A Cimolopterygidae Brodkporb, 1963.

Cimolopteryx rara[10]

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Late Maastrichtian

Lance Formation

A Cimolopterygidae Brodkporb, 1963.

Dromiceius ocypus[11]

Synonym

valid

Holmes Miller

Early Pliocene

Mampuwordu Sands

A Dromaiidae, transferred to the genus Dromaius.

Fulica hesterna[6]

Sp. nov.

valid

Howard

Middle Pleistocene

Palm Spring Formation

A Rallidae.

Gallinula brodkorbi[12]

Sp. nov.

valid

McCoy

Late Pleistocene

A Rallidae.

Lonchodytes[10]

Gen. et Sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Late Maastrichtian

Lance Formation

A Gaviiformes, type sp. L. estesi

Lonchodytes pterygius[10]

Sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Late Maastrichtian

Lance Formation

A Gaviiformes

Nanortyx[13]

Gen et sp. nov.

valid

Weigel

Early Oligocene

Cypress Hills Formation

An Odontophoridae, type sp. N. inexpectatus

Neococcyx[13]

Gen et sp. nov.

valid

Weigel

Early Oligocene

Cypress Hills Formation

A Coccyzid, type sp. N. mccorquodalei

Neophrontops vallecitoensis[6]

Sp. nov.

valid

Howard

Middle Pleistocene

Palm Spring Formation

An Accipitridae.

Nycticorax fidens[9]

Sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Early Pliocene

An Ardeidae.

Oxyura bessomi[6]

Sp. nov.

valid

Howard

Middle Pleistocene

Palm Spring Formation

An Anatidae.

Palaeeudyptes marplesi[14]

Sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Late Eocene

Burnside Marl

A Spheniscidae.

Palaeostruthus eurius[15]

Sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Late Miocene

A Passerellidae.

Paractitis[13]

Gen et sp. nov.

valid

Weigel

Early Oligocene

Cypress Hills Formation

A Scolopacidae, type sp. P. bardi

Phalacrocorax ibericum[16]

Sp. nov.

valid?

de Villalta Comella

Late Miocene

A Phalacrocoracidae

Phoeniconotius[17]

Gen. et Sp. nov.

valid

Holmes Miller

Early Miocene

Etadunna Formation

A Phoenicopteridae, type sp. P. eyrensis

Phoenicopterus novaehollandiae[17]

Sp. nov.

valid

Holmes Miller

Early Miocene

Etadunna Formation

A Phoenicopteridae

Podiceps dixi[18]

Sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Middle Pleistocene

A Podicipedidae

Probalearica crataegensis[19]

Gen. et Sp. nov.

synonym

Brodkorb

Early Miocene

Hawthorne Formation

A Gruidae, syn of Balearica crataegensis

Propelargus olseni[19]

Sp. nov.

synonym

Brodkorb

Early Miocene

Hawthorne Formation

A Ciconiidae, syn of Grallavis olseni.

Puffinus micraulax[19]

Sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Early Miocene

Hawthorne Formation

A Sulidae.

Sula universitatis[19]

Sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Early Miocene

Hawthorne Formation

A Sulidae.

Titanis[20]

Gen et sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Late Blancan-Early Irvingtonian

A Phorusrhacidae.
Type sp. T. walleri

 

Torotix clemensi[21]

Gen et sp. nov.

valid

Brodkorb

Late Cretaceous

Lance Formation

Possibly a Pelecaniform,
currently Aves Incertae Sedis.

Totanus teruelensis[22]

Sp. nov.

synonym

de Villalta Comella

Late Miocene

A Laridae, syn of Larus teruelensis

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Literature

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References

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  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. ^ Gibson, G (2013). "The extinct Baltic amber genus Propelma Trjapitzin, a valid genus of Neanastatinae (Hymenoptera, Eupelmidae)". ZooKeys (283): 59–69. doi:10.3897/zookeys.283.4665. PMC 3677364. PMID 23794842.
  3. ^ a b c Reig, O.A. 1963. La presencia de dinosaurios saurisquios en los "Estrados de Ischigualasto" (Mesotriasico superior) de las provincias de San Juan y La Rioja (Republica Argentina). Ameghiniana 3: pp. 3-20.
  4. ^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  5. ^ Kuhn, O. 1963. Ichnia Tetrapodorum. In: Fossilium Catalogus I: Animalia, part 101 (Westphal, F., ed.). W. Junk, The Hague, Netherlands: 176 pages.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Howard, Hildegarde (1963). "Fossil Birds from the Anza-Borrego Desert" (PDF). Los Angeles County Museum Contributions in Science. 73: 1–33. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-12. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
  7. ^ McCoy, J. J. (1963). "The Fossil Avifauna of Itchtucknee River, Florida". The Auk. 80 (3): 335–351. doi:10.2307/4082892. JSTOR 4082892.
  8. ^ Wetmore, Alexander (1963). "An Extinct Rail from the Island of St. Helena". The Ibis. 103B (3): 379–381. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1963.tb06760.x.
  9. ^ a b Brodkorb, Pierce (1963). "Fossil Birds from the Alachua Clay of Florida". Florida Geological Survey, Special Publication 2. 4: 1–17.
  10. ^ a b c d e Brodkorb, Pierce (1963). "Birds from the Upper Cretaceous of Wyoming". Proceedings of the XIIIth International Ornithologists Congress. 13: 55–70.
  11. ^ Miller, Alden Holmes (1963). "Fossil Ratite Birds from the Late Tertiary of South Australia". Records of the South Australian Museum. 14: 413–420.
  12. ^ McCoy, John J. (1963). "The Fossil Avifauna of Itchtucknee River, Florida" (PDF). The Auk. 80 (3): 335–351. doi:10.2307/4082892. JSTOR 4082892.
  13. ^ a b c Weigel, Robert D. (1963). "Oligocene Birds from Saskatchewan". Quarterly Journal of the Florida Academy of Sciences. 26 (3): 257–262.
  14. ^ Brodkorb, P (1963). "Catalogue of Fossil Birds. Part 1 (Archaeopterygiformes through Ardeiformes)". Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences. 7 (4): 179–293.
  15. ^ Brodkorb, Pierce (1963). "Fossil Birds from the Alachua Clay of Florida". Florida Geological Survey, Special Publication. 2: 1–17.
  16. ^ de Villalta Comella, JF (1963). "Las Aves Fósiles del Mioceno Espańol". Boletin de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural (Sección Geológica). 6: 263–285.
  17. ^ a b Miller, Alden Holmes (1963). "The Fossil Flamingos of Australia" (PDF). The Condor. 65 (4): 289–299. doi:10.2307/1365355. JSTOR 1365355.
  18. ^ Brodkorb, P (1963). "A New Pleistocene Grebe from Florida" (PDF). Quarterly Journal of the Florida Academy of Sciences. 26 (1): 53–55. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-02-22. Retrieved 2015-02-21.
  19. ^ a b c d Brodkorb, Pierce (1963). "Miocene Birds from the Hawthorne Formation in Florida". Quarterly Journal of the Florida Academy of Sciences. 26 (2): 159–167.
  20. ^ Brodkorb, P (1963). "A Giant Flightless Bird from the Pleistocene of Florida" (PDF). Auk. 80 (2): 111–115. doi:10.2307/4082556. JSTOR 4082556.
  21. ^ Brodkorb, P (1963). "Birds from the Upper Cretaceous of Wyoming". Proceedings of the XIIIth International Ornithologists Congress. 13: 55–70.
  22. ^ de Villalta Comella, J. F. (1963). "Las Aves Fósiles del Mioceno Espańol". Boletin de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural (Sección Geológica). 61: 263–285.
  23. ^ Sarjeant, W. A. S., 2001, Dinosaurs in fiction: In: Mesozoic Vertebrate Life, edited by Tanke, D. H., and Carpenter, K., Indiana University Press, p. 504-529.