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 1929.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
+...

Plants

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Ferns and fern allies

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Asplenium occidentale[2]

Sp nov

Jr synonym

Berry

Miocene
Langhian

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A spleenwort species.
A jr homonym of Asplenium occidentale Knowlton (1917)
Moved to Osmunda occidentale (1940)

 
Osmunda occidentale

Woodsia bonseri[2]

Sp nov

Berry

Miocene
Langhian

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A woodsia fern species.

 
Woodsia bonseri

Woodwardia praeradicans[2]

Sp nov

Berry

Miocene
Langhian

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A chain fern species.

 
Woodwardia praeradicans

Conifers

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Pinus latahensis[2]

Sp nov

Valid

Berry

Eocene
Ypresian

Klondike Mountain Formation

  USA
  Washington

A 5-needle pine species

 
Pinus latahensis

Pinus macrophylla[2]

Sp nov

Homonym

Berry

Eocene
Ypresian

Klondike Mountain Formation

  USA
  Washington

A 3-needle pine species.
Jr homonym of Pinus macrophylla Lindley, 1839

 
Pinus macrophylla

Pinus monticolensis[2]

Sp nov

Valid

Berry

Eocene
Ypresian

Klondike Mountain Formation

  USA
  Washington

A pine seed morphospecies

 
Pinus monticolensis

Pinus tetrafolia[2]

Sp nov

nomen dubium

Berry

Eocene
Ypresian

Klondike Mountain Formation

  USA
  Washington

A punitive 4-needle pine species
Noted by Berry as
"highly improbable that this should represent a distinct botanic species"

 
Pinus tetrafolia

Tsuga latahensis[2]

Sp nov

Valid?

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

First described as a hemlock conescale.[3]
Suggested to be a bud scale in 1937.[4]
Treated as an incertae sedis plant by Chaney & Axelrod (1959).[5]

 
Tsuga latahensis

Angiosperms

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Monocots

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Synonymized taxa Notes Images

Potamogeton heterophylloides[2]

Sp nov

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A pondweed species
Moved to Keteleeria heterophylloides (1935)[6]

 
Keteleeria heterophylloides

Magnoliids

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Synonymized taxa Notes Images

Liriodendron hesperia[2]

Sp nov

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A Liriodendron species

 
Liriodendron hesperia

Sassafras hesperia[2]

Sp nov

Berry

Eocene
Ypresian

Klondike Mountain Formation

  USA
  Washington

A Sassafras species

 
Sassafras hesperia

Umbellularia dayana[2]

Comb nov

(Knowlton) Berry

Miocene

Mascall Formation

  USA
  Oregon

An Umbellularia species
Moved from Salix dayana (1902)
Synonymized into Umbellularia saliciformis (1952)[7]

 
Umbellularia saliciformis

Umbellularia lanceolata[2]

Sp nov

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

An Umbellularia species
later moved to Persea lanceolata (1946)[8]

 
Persea lanceolata

Superasterids - basal

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Synonymized taxa Notes Images

Arctostaphylos knowltoni[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

First named as a bearberry species
Species synonymized into Vaccinium sophoroides (1937)[4]

 
Vaccinium sophoroides

Arctostaphylos spatulata[2]

Sp nov

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A bearberry species

 
Arctostaphylos spatulata

Cornus acuminata[2]

Sp nov

Homonym

Berry

Eocene
Ypresian

Klondike Mountain Formation

  USA
  Washington

A Schoepfia species
jr homonym of ''Cornus acuminata'' (Weber)
Renamed Cornus republicensis in 1944
Moved to Schoepfia republicensis in 1987[9]

 
Schoepfia republicensis

Gordonia pteraformis[10]

Comb nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

Suggested as a possible Gordonia species
Moved from Carpolithes pteraformis 1929
Moved to Cedrela pteraformis (1935)[7]

 
Cedrela pteraformis

Nyssa knowltoni[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A Nyssa species
Species synonymized into Ptelea miocenica (1931)[7]

 
Ptelea miocenica

Nyssa magnifica[2]

Comb nov

valid

(Knowlton) Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A Nyssa species
Moved from Carpites magnifica (1926)[11]

 
Nyssa magnifica

Ternstroemites idahoensis[2]

Comb nov

(Knowlton) Berry

Miocene

Payette Formation

  USA
  Idaho

A theaceous species
Moved from Myrica? idahoensis (1919)
Moved to Gordonia idahoensis 1929

Vaccinium americanum[2]

Comb et Syn nov

valid?

(Lesquereux) Berry

Miocene

Mascall Formation

  USA
  Oregon

A Vaccinium species
Moved from Santalum americanum (1883)
Two species synonymized
Vaccinium salicoides resurrected as incertae sedis (1959)[5]

 
Vaccinium salicoides

Vaccinium bonseri[2]

Sp et "var" nov

valid

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A Vaccinium species
One variety named V. bonseri serrulatum

 
Vaccinium bonseri

Vaccinium spokanense[2]

Sp nov

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A Vaccinium species

 
Salix spokanensis

Superasterids - euasterids

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Synonymized taxa Notes Images

Apocynophyllum latahense[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A apocynaceous species
Moved to Magnolia latahensis[4]

 
Magnolia latahensis

Porana microcalyx[2]

Comb nov

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A Porana species
Moved from Diospyros? microcalyx (1926)[11]

 
Porana microcalyx

Umbelliferospermum[2]

Gen et Sp nov

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

An apiaceous fruit genus
The type species is U. latahense

 
Umbelliferospermum latahense

Viburnum fernquisti[2]

Sp nov

valid

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A Viburnum seed morphospecies

 
Viburnum fernquisti

Viburnum lantanafolium[2]

Sp nov

valid

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A Viburnum leaf morphospecies

 
Viburnum lantanafolium

Superrosids - Basal

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Synonymized taxa Notes Images

Menziesia knowltoni[2]

Sp nov

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A Menziesia species

 
Rhododendron knowltoni

Ribes fernquisti[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

First named as a gooseberry species
Renamed and moved to Viburnum ribesiforme (1944)[7]

 
Viburnum ribesiforme

Superrosids - Fabids

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Synonymized taxa Notes Images

Alnus elliptica[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Eocene
Ypresian

Klondike Mountain Formation

  USA
  Washington

An alder species
Synonymized into Alnus parvifolia (1987)[9]

 
Alnus parvifolia

Alnus prerhombifolia[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

An alder species
Synonymized into Alnus carpinoides (1937)[4]
Synonymized into Alnus hollandiana (1959)[5]

 
Alnus hollandiana

Amygdalus alexanderi[12]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

First named as an Amygdalus species
Synonymized into Fagus washoensis (1937)[4]

Cassia sophoroides[2]

Comb nov

jr synonym

(Knowlton) Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

Recombined as a Cassia species
Moved from Phyllites sophoroides (1926)
Moved to Vaccinium sophoroides (1937)[4]

 
Vaccinium sophoroides

Cassia spokanensis[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

First named as a Cassia species
Synonymized into Cedrela pteraformis (1935)

 
Cedrela pteraformis

Celastrus spokanensis[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

First named as a staff vine species
Synonymized into Gordonia idahoensis (1959)[5]

 
Gordonia idahoensis

Cercocarpus praeledifolius[2]

Sp nov

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A mountain mahogany species

 
Cercocarpus praeledifolius

Comptonia hesperia[2]

Sp nov

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A sweet fern species

 
Comptonia hesperia

Cucurbita glandulosa[7]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Brown

Eocene
Ypresian

Green River Formation

  United States
(  Colorado)

First identified as a gourd seed morphotype
Moved to Punctaphyllum glandulosum in 2023[13]

Euonymus knowltoni[2]

Sp nov

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A Euonymus species

 
Hydrangea knowltoni

Hibiscus? occidentalis[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

First named as a possible Hibiscus seed species
Moved to Mentzelia occidentalis (1935)

 
Mentzelia occidentalis

Leguminosites alexanderi[2]

Sp nov

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A fabaceous fruit species of uncertain affinity

 
Leguminosites alexanderi

Leguminosites bonseri[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

First named as a fabaceous species of uncertain affinity
Synonymized into Umbellularia dayana (1937)
Synonymized into Umbellularia saliciformis (1952)[7]

 
Umbellularia saliciformis

Meibomites knowltoni[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

First named as a fabaceous species
Synonymized into Exbucklandia oregonensis (1946)[8]

 
Exbucklandia oregonensis

Menispermites latahensis[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

First named as a menispermaceous species
Synonymized into Vitis washingtonensis (1937)[4]

 
Vitis washingtonensis

Quercus treleasii[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

First named as an oak species
Synonymized into Sophora spokanensis (1937)[4]

 
Sophora spokanensis

Rhamnus spokanensis[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

First named as a buckthorn species
Moved to Salix spokanensis (1937)[4]

 
Salix spokanensis

Superrosids - Malvids

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Synonymized taxa Notes Images

Aesculus hesperia[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

First named as a horse chestnut species
Synonymized into Viburnum lantanafolium (1937)[4]

 
Viburnum lantanafolium

Sapindus armstrongi[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

First named as a soap berry species
Synonymized into Cedrela pteraformis (1937)[4]

 
Cedrela pteraformis

Sapindus spokanensis[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

First named as a soap berry species
Synonymized into Cedrela pteraformis (1935)

Tilia hesperia[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

A Tilia species
Synonymized into Tilia aspera (1935)

 
Tilia aspera

incertae sedis

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Synonymized taxa Notes Images

Carpolithus pteraformis[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Berry

Miocene

Latah Formation

  USA
  Washington

First named as a seed of uncertain affinity
Moved to Gordonia pteraformis later in 1929[10]
Moved to Cedrela pteraformis (1935)

 
Cedrela pteraformis

Arthropods

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Crustaceans

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Cycloprosopon[citation needed]

Lorenthey & Beurlen

Insects

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Permotipula[14]

Valid

Tillyard

Permian
Changhsingian - Wuchiapingian

Newcastle Coal Measures

  Australia
  New South Wales

A protodipteran scorpionfly

Archosauromorphs

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  • Barosaurus gastroliths documented.[15]

Newly named dinosaurs

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Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[16]

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Anodontosaurus[17]

Valid

Sternberg

Cretaceous
Edmontonian

Horseshoe Canyon Formation

  Canada
  Alberta

An ankylosaurid.

 
Anodontosaurus lambei

Antarctosaurus[18]

Gen et 2 sp nov

Valid

von Huene

Cretaceous
early Campanian

Anacleto Formation

  Argentina

A titanosaur.
The type species is A. wichmannianus
Also included is A. giganteus

 
Antarctosaurus wichmannianus

Campylodon[18]

Gen et sp nov

Homonym

von Huene

Cretaceous
Cenomanian

Bajo Barreal Formation

  Argentina

A titanosaur.
Preoccupied by Campylodon Dumeril, 1852.
Moved to Campylodoniscus in 1961

Helopus[19]

Gen et sp nov

Homonym

Wiman

Cretaceous
Barremian-Aptian

Mengyin Formation

  China

A Euhelopodid titanosaur.
The type species is H.zdanskyi
Genus name preoccupied by Helopus Wagler
Renamed and moved to Euhelopus in 1956

 
Euhelopus zdanskyi

Laplatasaurus[18]

Valid

von Huene

Cretaceous
late Campanian-early Maastrichtian

Allen Formation

  Argentina

A titanosaur related to members of Lognkosauria.
The type species is L. araukanicus

 
Laplatasaurus araukanicus

Loricosaurus[18]

Gen et sp nov

Nomen dubium

von Huene

Cretaceous
late Campanian-early Maastrichtian

Allen Formation

  Argentina

A titanosaur.
The type species is L. scutatus
Possibly a jr synonym of Neuquensaurus

Paranthodon[20]

Gen et comb nov

Valid

Nopcsa

Cretaceous
Berriasian

Kirkwood Formation

  South Africa

A stegosaur.
The type species is Palaeoscincus africanus (1912)

 
Paranthodon africanus

Rhodanosaurus[20]

Gen et sp nov

Nomen dubium

Nopcsa

Cretaceous
late Campanian-early Maastrichtian

Gres a Reptiles

  France

A dubious nodosaurid.
The type species is R. ludguensis

Tanius[19]

Valid

Wiman

Cretaceous
Campanian

Jingangkou Formation

  China

A hadrosauroid.
The type species is T. sinensis

 
Tanius

Teinurosaurus

Gen nov

Nomen dubium.

Nopcsa

Jurassic
Kimmeridgian

Mont-Lambert Formation

  France

A neotheropod.

 
Teinurosaurus

Synapsids

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Non-mammalian

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Eoarctops

Gen et sp nov

jr synonym

Haughton

Permian
Capitanian

  South Africa

A gorgonopsid therapsid.
The type species is E. vanderbyli
A jr synonym of Eriphostoma microdon

 
Eriphostoma microdon

Hipposaurus

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Haughton

Permian
Capitanian

Beaufort Group
Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone

  South Africa

A biarmosuchian therapsid.
The type species is H. boonstrai

 
Hipposaurus boonstrai

Scullya

Sp nov

nomen dubium

Broom

A titanosuchid dinocephalian

Styracocephalus

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Haughton

Permian
Capitanian

  South Africa

A tapinocephalian therapsid

 
Styracocephalus

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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw Berry, E.W. (1929). "A revision of the flora of the Latah Formation". USGS Professional Paper Series (PDF). Vol. PP 154-H. pp. 225–265. doi:10.3133/pp154H.
  3. ^ Berry, E.W. (1932). "A Miocene flora from Grand Coulee, Washington". Shorter contributions to general geology, 1931 (Report). Professional Paper. United States Geological Survey. pp. 31–42. doi:10.3133/pp170C. 170-C.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Brown, R. W. (1937). Additions to some fossil floras of the Western United States (PDF) (Report). Professional Paper. Vol. 186. United States Geological Survey. pp. 163–206. doi:10.3133/pp186J.
  5. ^ a b c d Chaney, R.; Axelrod, D. (1959). Miocene Floras of the Columbia Plateau: Part II. Systematic Considerations, by Ralph W. Chaney and Daniel I. Axelrod. Carnegie Institution of Washington. pp. 1–226.Miocene Floras of the Columbia Plateau at the HathiTrust Digital Library
  6. ^ Brown, R. (1935). "Miocene leaves, fruits, and seeds from Idaho, Oregon, and Washington". Journal of Paleontology. 9: 572–587.
  7. ^ a b c d e f LaMotte, R.S. (1952). Catalogue of the Cenozoic plants of North America through 1950. Geological Society of America Memoirs. Vol. 51. Geological Society of America. doi:10.1130/MEM51.
  8. ^ a b Brown, R.W. (1946). "Alterations in some fossil and living floras". Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences. 36 (10): 344–355.
  9. ^ a b Wolfe, J.A.; Wehr, W.C. (1987). Middle Eocene dicotyledonous plants from Republic, northeastern Washington (Report). Bulletin. Vol. 1597. United States Geological Survey. pp. 1–25. doi:10.3133/b1597.
  10. ^ a b Berry, E.W. (1929). "Gordonia from the Miocene of Idaho and Washington". American Journal of Science. 18 (107): 430. Bibcode:1929AmJS...18..429B. doi:10.2475/ajs.s5-18.107.429.
  11. ^ a b c Knowlton, F.H. (1926). "Flora of the Latah Formation of Spokane, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho". Shorter contributions to general geology, 1925 (PDF) (Report). Professional Paper. Vol. 140. United States Geological Survey. pp. 17–55, plates VIII-XXXI. doi:10.3133/pp140A.
  12. ^ Berry, E.W. (1929). "The genus Amygdalus in North America". Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences. 19 (2): 41–43. JSTOR 24523498.
  13. ^ Correa Narvaez, J. E.; Allen, S. E.; Huegele, I. B.; Manchester, S. R. (2023). "Fossil leaves and fruits of Tetramelaceae (Curcurbitales) [sic] from the Eocene of the Rocky Mountain region, USA, and their biogeographic significance". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 184 (3): 177–200. doi:10.1086/724018.
  14. ^ Willmann, R. (1989). "Rediscovered: Permotipula patricia, the oldest known fly". Naturwissenschaften. 76 (8): 375–377. Bibcode:1989NW.....76..375W. doi:10.1007/BF00366210.
  15. ^ Janensch, W. (1929). Sanders, Manley, and Carpenter (2001), "Table 12.1" page 167.
  16. ^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  17. ^ Sternberg, C.H. 1929. A toothless armored dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Alberta. Bull. Natl. Mus. Can. 54: pp. 28-33.
  18. ^ a b c d von Huene, F. (1929). "Los saurisquios y ornitisquios del Cretáceo Argentino". Anales del Museo de la Plata (in Spanish). 3 (3): 1–196.
  19. ^ a b Wiman, C. 1929. Die Kreide-dinosaurier aus Shantung. Pal. Sin. C 1: pp. 1-67.
  20. ^ a b Nopcsa, F. 1929. Dinosaurierreste aus Siebenburgen. V. Geol. Hungarica Set. Paleontol. 4: pp. 1-76.
  • Janensch, W. (1929). Magensteine bei Sauropoden der Tendaguru-Schichten. Palaeontographica (Suppl. 7) 2:135-144.
  • Sanders F, Manley K, Carpenter K. Gastroliths from the Lower Cretaceous sauropod Cedarosaurus weiskopfae. In: Tanke D.H, Carpenter K, editors. Mesozoic vertebrate life: new research inspired by the paleontology of Philip J. Currie. Indiana University Press; Bloomington, IN: 2001. pp. 166–180.