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1992 in paleontology

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1992 in paleontology

Paleontology or palaeontology (from Greek: paleo, "ancient"; ontos, "being"; and logos, "knowledge") 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 1992.

Contents

Archosauromorphs

  • During the 1992 field season a concerted effort was undertaken by the Royal Tyrell Museum to recover the remains of young hadrosaurs. The researchers describe the acquisition that season of 43 specimens as being a success. Most of the recovered fossils were of dentaries missing their teeth, bones from limbs and feet, as well as vertebral centra.
  • Jack Horner speculated that transitional species evolved in the uppermost part of the Two Medicine Formation during the Bearpaw Transgression. This was during a half-million year span as the transgression inundated the Judith River Formation and, later, the Two Medicine area, gradually destroying the local dinosaurs' preferred habitats. Horner cited certain ceratopsid and pachycephalosaurid species as possible evidence for his hypothesis.

    • Newly named non-avian dinosaurs

    Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.

    References

    1992 in paleontology Wikipedia
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