1903 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 1903.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906

Archosauromorphs

Newly named dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[2]

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Brachiosaurus[3]

gen et sp

Valid

Riggs

Late Jurassic

Morrison Formation, Colorado

Haplocanthosaurus[4]

gen et sp

Valid; nomen conservandum

Hatcher

Late Jurassic

Morrison Formation, Colorado

New name for "Haplocanthus", mistakenly thought preoccupied

"Haplocanthus"[5]

gen et sp

Nomen oblitum

Hatcher

Late Jurassic

Morrison Formation, Colorado

Erroneously thought preoccupied by Haplacanthus Agassiz, 1945 and renamed Haplocanthosaurus.

Ornitholestes[6]

gen et sp

Valid

Osborn

Kimmeridgian

Morrison Formation, Wyoming

Known from a single skull and partial skeleton.

Telmatosaurus[7]

gen

Valid

Nopcsa

Maastrichtian

Sânpetru Formation, Transylvania

new genus for Limnosaurus Nopcsa, 1899.

Sauropterygians

  • Plesiosaur gastroliths documented.[8]

Newly named plesiosaurs

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Apatomerus

gen et sp

Valid

Williston

Albian

Kiowa Shale, Kansas

first described as a pterosaur; reidentified in the 1970s

Brachauchenius

gen et sp

Valid

Williston

Turonian

Greenhorn Formation,

A brachauchenine pliosaurid.

Brachauchenius lucasi pursuing a generic hesperornithiform bird.

Dolichorhynchops

gen et sp

Valid

Williston

Turonian

Smoky Hill Chalk, Kansas

A polycotylid.

Synapsids

Non-mammalian

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Lycosuchus

gen et sp

Valid

Broom

Middle Permian

Middle Abrahamskraal Formation

Scylacosaurus

gen et sp

Valid

Broom

Late Permian

Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone

Scymnosaurus

gen et sp

Valid

Broom

Middle Permian

Middle Abrahamskraal Formation

Cetaceans

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Squalodon bariensis latirostris

Ssp. nov

Valid

Capellini

Late Oligocene (Chattian)

Unnamed deposit

 Italy

A squalodontid; now recognized as a species of Eosqualodon.

Pholidotes

Name Authors Age Location Notes Images
Metacheiromys Wortman 48 Million years ago. An Eocene Mammal related to modern pangolins.

References

  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. Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  3. Riggs, E.S. 1903. Brachiosaurus altithorax, the largest known dinosaurs. Amer. J. Science 15 (4):pp. 299-306.
  4. Hatcher, J.B. 1903. Osteology of Haptocanthosaurus. with description of a new species, and remarks on the probable habits of the Sauropoda and the age and origin of the Atlantosaurus beds. Mem. Carnegie Mus. 2: pp. 1-72.
  5. Hatcher, J.B. 1903. A new name for the Dinosaur Haplocanthus Hatcher. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 16: p.100.
  6. Osborn, H. F. 1903. Ornitholestes hermanni, a new compsognathoid dinosaur from the Upper Jurassic. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 19: pp. 459-464.
  7. Nopcsa, F. 1903. Telmatosaurus, new name for the dinosaur Limnosaurus. Geol. Mag. (ser. 4) 10:pp. 94-95.
  8. Williston (1903). Sanders, Manley, and Carpenter (2001), "Table 12.1" page 167.
  • 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.
  • Williston, Samuel Wendel; 1903. North American Plesiosaurs; Field Columbian Museum Publication 73, Geological Series; II(I); Field Columbian Museum, Chicago.
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