1975 in paleontology
# 1975 in paleontology

Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. 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 1975.

## Paleozoology

### Arthropods

**Insects**

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Cretopone | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Dlussky | Turonian | Beleutinskaya Formation | Kazakhstan | An ant of uncertain phylogenetic placement. Type species C. magna | Cretopone magna |
| Electrodryinus areolatus | gen et sp nov | jr synonym | Ponomarenko | Eocene | Baltic amber | Russia | A dryinid wasp, genus synonymized with Deinodryinus | Deinodryinus areolatus |
| "Palaeomyrmex" | Gen et sp nov. | Jr synonym | Dlussky | Santonian | Taimyr amber | Russia | A Sphecomyrminae ant. homonym of Palaeomyrmex Heer. Moved to Dlusskyidris zherichini | Dlusskyidris zherichini |

### Molluscs

**Bivalves**

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Fordillidae | fam nov | Valid | Pojeta | Lower Devonian | worldwide | | New family for Fordilla and Pojetaia | Fordilla |

### Conodonts

German paleontologist and stratigrapher Heinz Walter Kozur (1942-2013) and G.K. Merrill described the conodont genus Diplognathodus.

### Vertebrates

**Dinosaurs**

**Newly named dinosaurs**

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Abrictosaurus | gen nov | Valid | Hopson | Early Jurassic | Upper Elliot Formation | Lesotho | | Abrictosaurus |
| Alocodon | Gen et sp nov | Valid | | 194 Millions years ago. | | Portugal  UK | | |
| Bagaceratops | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Maryańska & Osmólska | Late Cretaceous | | Mongolia | | Bagaceratops |
| "Sinopliosaurus" fusuiensis | Sp. Nov. | junior synonym? | Lian-Hai, Hsiang-K'uei, & Xi-Jin | Early Cretaceous | Xinlong Formation | China | Originally classified as a second species of the pliosauroid Sinopliosaurus, and later as a spinosaurid dinosaur. Now a possible junior synonym of the spinosaurid genus Siamosaurus. | "Sinopliosaurus" fusuiensis |
| Barapasaurus | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Jain, Kutty, Roy-Chowdhury, & Chatterjee | Lower Jurassic | Kota Formation | India | | Barapasaurus |
| Bradycneme | Fam, gen, et sp nov | Nomen dubium | Harrison & C. A. Walker | Maastrichtian | Sânpetru Formation | Romania | Possibly synonymous with Elopteryx. | |
| Heptasteornis | gen et sp nov | Valid | Harrison & C. A. Walker | Maastrichtian | Sânpetru Formation | Romania | alvarezsaurid, originally described as an owl | |
| Lanasaurus | Gen nov | Valid | Gow | Hettangian to Sinemurian | Elliot Formation | South Africa | | |
| "Yubasaurus" | | Nomen nudum. | He | | | | informal name for Yandusaurus. | |

**Dinosaurs**

**Newly named birds**

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Anhinga grandis | Sp. nov. | Valid | Larry D. Martin Robert M. Mengel | Pliocene | Kimball Formation | USA ( Florida) | An Anhingidae. |
| Botaurus hibbardi | Sp. nov. | Valid | Carolyn Moseley Alan Feduccia | Late Pliocene | Rexroad Formation | USA ( Kansas) | An Ardeidae. |
| Bulweria bifax | Sp. nov. | Valid | Storrs L. Olson | Holocene | | Saint Helena | A Procellariidae, Extinct after 1502 arrival of man |
| Dakotornis cooperi | Gen. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Bruce R. Erickson | Paleocene | Tongue River Formation | USA ( North Dakota) | Described in the Dakornithidae, now placed in the Graculavidae, this is the type species of the new genus. |
| Dysmoropelia dekarchiskos | Gen. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Storrs L. Olson | Middle Pleistocene-Holocene | | Saint Helena | A Columbidae, this is the type species of the new genus. |
| Falco antiquus | Sp. nov. | Valid | Cécile Mourer-Chauviré | Middle Pleistocene | MQ 2B | France | A Falconidae. |
| Nannococcyx spix | Gen. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Storrs L. Olson | Holocene | | Saint Helena | A Cuculidae, this is the type species of the new genus. Extinct at the start of the 16th century BC |
| Primapus lacki | Gen. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Collin J. O. Harrison Cyril A. Walker | Early Eocene | London Clay, MP 8-9 | UK | An Apodiformes, Aegialornithidae Lydekker, 1891. |
| Pterodroma rupinarum | Sp. nov. | Valid | Storrs L. Olson | Late Pleistocene-Holocene | | Saint Helena | A Procellariidae, sometimes placed in the genus Pseudobulweria. Extinct after 1502 due to deforestation |
| Puffinus pacificoides | Sp. nov. | Valid | Storrs L. Olson | Pleistocene | | Saint Helena | A Procellariidae. |
| Spizaetus schultzi | Sp. nov. | Valid | Larry D. Martin | Pliocene, Kimballian | Kimball Formation | USA ( Florida) | An Accipitridae. |
| Upupa antaios | Sp. nov. | Valid | Storrs L. Olson | Holocene | | Saint Helena | An Upupidae. Extinct before or around 1502 |

**Pterosaurs**

**New taxa**

| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Location | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Puntanipterus | Valid | Bonaparte Sanchez, T.M | | | |
| Quetzalcoatlus | Valid | Lawson, Douglas A. | | USA( Texas)  Canada( Alberta) | Quetzalcoatlus |

**Incertae sedis**

**New taxa**

| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Gluteus minimus | Valid | Richard Arnold Davis & Holmes A. Semken, Jr. | | |
