2003 in paleontology

List of years in paleontology (table)
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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 2003.

Plants

Conifers

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Chamaecyparis eureka

Sp nov

Valid

Kotyk, Basinger, & McIlver

Lutetian

Buchanan Lake Formation, Axel Heiberg Island

 Canada
 Nunavut

the oldest confirmed species of Chamaecyparis

Tsuga swedaea

Sp nov

Valid

LePage

Lutetian

Buchanan Lake Formation, Axel Heiberg Island

 Canada
 Nunavut

A hemlock species

Angiosperms

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Araripia florifera

Gen et sp

Valid

Mohr & Eklund

lower Cretaceous

Crato Formation

 Brazil

Carpinus perryae

Sp nov

Valid

Pigg, Manchester, & Wehr

Ypresian

Klondike Mountain Formation

 USA
 Washington

A hornbeam

Carpinus parryae

Corylus johnsonii

Sp nov

Valid

Pigg, Manchester, & Wehr

Ypresian

Klondike Mountain Formation

 USA
 Washington

A hazelnut

Corylus johnsonii

Palaeocarpinus barksdaleae

Sp nov

Valid

Pigg, Manchester, & Wehr

Ypresian

Klondike Mountain Formation

 USA
 Washington

A betulaceous fruit

Palaeocarpinus barksdaleae

Palaeocarpinus dentatus

Comb nov

Valid

(Penhallow)

Ypresian

"Stump lake", Coldwater Beds

 Canada
 British Columbia

A betulaceous fruit;
moved from Carpolithes dentatus (Penhallow, 1890)

Palaeocarpinus stonebergae

Sp nov

Valid

Pigg, Manchester, & Wehr

Ypresian

Allenby Formation

 Canada
 British Columbia

A betulaceous fruit

Pseudosalix

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Boucher, Manchester, & Judd

latest Ypresian

Green River Formation

 USA
 Utah

A willow relative

Gnetophytes

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Cratonia cotyledon

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Rydin, Mohr, & Friis

lower Cretaceous

Crato Formation

 Brazil

A relative to Welwetschia

Fungi

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Aureofungus

Get et sp nov

Valid

Hibbett et al

Burdigalian

Dominican amber.

 Dominican Republic

An agaricalean fungus
Type species A. yaniguaensis

Arthropods

Arachnids

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Cornupalpatum

Gen et sp nov

valid

Poinar & Brown

Albian-Cenomanian

Burmese amber

 Myanmar

An Ixodid hard tick

Cornupalpatum burmanicum

Insects

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Archimyrmex piatnitzkyi

Comb nov.

vaild

(Viana & Haedo Rossi)

Middle Eocene

Ventana Formation

 Brazil

A myrmeciine ant.
moved from Ameghinoia piatnitzkyi (1957)

Archimyrmex piatnitzkyi

Archimyrmex smekali

Comb nov.

valid

(Rossi de Garcia)

Middle Eocene

Ventana Formation

 Brazil

A myrmeciine ant.
moved from Polanskiella smekali (1983)

Brownimeciinae

Subfam. Gen. et Sp. nov

Valid

Bolton

Turonian

New Jersey amber

 USA
 New Jersey

A stem group ant, type species B. clavata

Brownimecia clavata

Halictus? savenyei

Sp. nov

valid

Engel & Archibald

Ypresian

Coldwater Beds

 Canada
 British Columbia

first apoid bee fossil described from Canada

Lasioglossum celinae

Sp. nov

Valid

Nel & Petrulevicius

Rupelian

Dauphin

 France

A sweat bee

Lasioglossum celinae

Oligoapis

Gen et sp nov

Jr synonym

Nel & Petrulevicius

Aquitanian

Bes-Konak

 Turkey

An apine bee,
type species O. beskonakensis
Moved to Bombus beskonakensis in 2019

Bombus beskonakensis

Palaeopsychops dodgeorum

Sp nov

valid

Makarkin & Archibald

Ypresian

Coldwater Beds

 Canada
 British Columbia

An ithionid giant lacewing

Paraelectrobombus

Gen et sp nov

Jr synonym

Nel & Petrulevicius

Aquitanian

Bes-Konak

 Turkey

Described as an Electrobombini bee
type species P. patriciae
Moved to Bombus (Paraelectrobombus) patriciae in (2019)

Bombus (Paraelectrobombus) patriciae

Raphidia funerata

sp nov

synonym

Engel

Priabonian

Florissant Formation

 USA
 Colorado

A snakefly.
moved to Florissantoraphidia funerata in 2014

Wesmaelius mathewesi

Sp. nov

valid

Engel & Archibald

Ypresian

Coldwater beds, Princeton Group

 Canada
( British Columbia)

A Hemerobiinae lacewing

Xylocopa celineae

Sp nov

valid

Nel & Petrulevicius

Chattian

Camoins-les-Bains

 France

A carpenter bee

Xylocopa celineae

Conodont paleozoology

German paleontologist and stratigrapher Heinz Walter Kozur (1942-2013) described the conodont genus Carnepigondolella.

Vertebrate paleozoology

Parareptiles

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Bunostegos

Valid

Sidor

 Niger

This was one of the largest herbivores of their time

Bunostegos

Non-avian dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.

Name Status Authors Location Notes Images
"Abdallahsaurus"

Nomen nudum.

  • Gerhard Maier

Nomen nudum; possibly a junior synonym of Giraffatitan or Brachiosaurus

"Blancocerosaurus"

Nomen nudum.

  • Gerhard Maier

Nomen nudum; possibly a junior synonym of Giraffatitan or Brachiosaurus

Amazonsaurus Valid taxon
  • Carvalho
  • Avilla
  • Salgado
 Brazil
Antetonitrus Valid taxon
  • Yates
  • Kitching
 South Africa
Aviatyrannis Valid taxon
  • Rauhut
 Portugal
Bainoceratops Valid taxon
  • Tereschenko
  • Alifanov
 China
Brohisaurus Valid taxon
  • Malkani
 Pakistan
Colepiocephale Valid taxon
  • Sullivan
 Canada
"Domeykosaurus" Nomen nudum

Rubilar-Rogers and Vargas vide:

  • Anonymous on May 29, 2003 Reuters news reports.
 Chile
Dromaeosauroides Valid taxon
  • Christiansen
  • Bonde
 Denmark
Dromaeosauroides
Equijubus Valid taxon
  • You
  • Luo
  • Shubin
  • Witmer
  • Tang Z.
  • Tang F.
 China
Ferganasaurus Valid taxon
  • Alifanov
  • Averianov
 Kyrgyzstan
Fukuisaurus Valid taxon
  • Kobayashi
  • Azuma
 Japan
Gobititan Valid taxon
  • You
  • Tang F.
  • Luo
 China
Hanssuesia Valid taxon
  • Sullivan
 Canada ( Alberta)
Hanssuesia
Heyuannia Valid taxon
 China
Heyuannia
Hongshanosaurus Valid taxon
  • You
  • Xu X.
  • Wang X.
 China
Hongshanosaurus
Isisaurus Valid taxon  India
Isisaurus
"Issasaurus"
  • Gerhard Maier

Nomen nudum; possibly a junior synonym of Dicraeosaurus

Lamaceratops Valid taxon
  • Alifanov
 China
"Ligomasaurus"
  • Gerhard Maier

Nomen nudum; possibly a junior synonym of Giraffatitan or Brachiosaurus

Lusotitan Valid taxon
  • Antunes
  • Mateus
 Portugal
Magnirostris Valid taxon  China
Magnirostris
Mendozasaurus Valid taxon
  • González-Riga (as González Riga)
 Argentina
"Mohammadisaurus"

Nomen nudum.

  • Gerhard Maier

Nomen nudum; possibly a junior synonym of Tornieria

"Mtapaiasaurus"

Nomen nudum.

  • Gerhard Maier

Nomen nudum; possibly a junior synonym of Giraffatitan or Brachiosaurus

"Mtotosaurus"

Nomen nudum.

  • Gerhard Maier

Nomen nudum; possibly a junior synonym of Dicraeosaurus

"Nteregosaurus"

Nomen nudum.

  • Gerhard Maier

Nomen nudum; possibly a junior synonym of Janenschia

"Nyororosaurus"
  • Gerhard Maier

Nomen nudum; possibly a junior synonym of Dicraeosaurus

Olorotitan Valid taxon
  • Godefroit
  • Bolotsky
  • Alifanov
 Russia
Olorotitan
Olorotitan
Platyceratops Valid taxon
  • Alifanov
 Mongolia
Rajasaurus Valid taxon  India
Rajasaurus
Rinconsaurus Valid taxon
  • Calvo
  • González-Riga (as González Riga)
 Argentina
Rinconsaurus
"Salimosaurus"

Nomen nudum.

  • Gerhard Maier

Nomen nudum; possibly a junior synonym of Giraffatitan or Brachiosaurus

"Selimanosaurus"

Nomen nudum.

  • Gerhard Maier

Nomen nudum; possibly a junior synonym of Dicraeosaurus

Serendipaceratops Valid taxon
  • T. Rich
  • Vickers-Rich
 Australia
Shenzhousaurus Valid taxon  China
Shuangmiaosaurus Valid taxon
  • You
  • Ji Q.
  • Li J.
  • Li Y. X.
 China
Silesaurus Valid taxon
  • Dzik
 Poland
Silesaurus
Sinornithomimus Valid taxon
  • Kobayashi
 China
Sinornithomimus
Sphaerotholus Possible junior synonym of Prenocephale
  • Williamson
  • Carr
"Wangonisaurus"

Nomen nudum.

  • Gerhard Maier

Nomen nudum; possibly a junior synonym of Giraffatitan or Brachiosaurus

Yixianosaurus Valid taxon
  • Xu X.
  • Wang X.
 China
Zalmoxes Valid taxon
  • Weishampel
  • Jianu
  • Csiki
  • Norman
 Romania
Zalmoxes
Zupaysaurus Valid taxon

Arcucci & Coria

 Argentina
Zupaysaurus

Newly named birds

Name Status Novelty Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Amanuensis pickfordi

Gen. et sp. nov

valid

Cécile Mourer-Chauviré

Middle Miocene

MN 4

 Namibia

A Sagittariidae, relative of the secretarybird. The type species of Amanuensis Mourer-Chauviré, 2003.

Amitabha urbsinterdictensis

Valid

Gen. nov. et Sp. nov.

Bonnie E. Gulas-Wroblewski

Anton F.-J. Wroblewski

Middle Eocene

Bridger Formation

 USA:

 Wyoming

The type species of Amitabha Gulas-Wroblewski & Wroblewski, 2003. Placed in crown Galliformes, but only compared with Phasianidae, not with other Eocene birds from North America.

Anhinga minuta

Valid

Sp. nov.

Herculano M. F. de Alvarenga

Edson Guilherme

Late Miocene-Early Pliocene

Huayquerian-Montehermosian,

Solimõas Formation

 Brazil

An Anhingidae.

Coenocorypha miratropica

Valid

Sp. nov.

Trevor H. Worthy

Holocene

Vitilevu

 Fiji

A Scolopacidae.

Diomedea tanakai

Valid

Sp. nov.

Paul G. Davis

Late Early Miocene

Oi Formation

 Japan

A Diomedeidae.

Eoeurypyga olsoni

Nomen Nudum

Thesis name.

Ilka Weidig

Early Eocene

Green River Formation

 USA:

 Wyoming

A Eurypygidae.

Falco umanskajae

Valid

Sp. nov.

Denis V. Sobolev

Pliocene

MN 16

 Ukraine

A Falconidae.

Gallicolumba leonpascoi

Valid

Sp. nov.

Trevor H. Worthy

Graham M. Wragg

Late Pleistocene-Holocene

Henderson Island

 Pitcairn

A Columbidae.

Hemignathus vorpalis

Valid

Sp. nov.

Helen F. James

Storrs L. Olson

Subresent

Hawaii

 USA:

 Hawaii

A Fringillidae, Carduelinae, Drepanidini.

Macranhinga ranzii

Valid

Sp. nov.

Herculano M. F. de Alvarenga

Edson Guilherme

Late Miocene-Early Pliocene

Huayquerian-Montehermosian

 Brazil

An Anhingidae.

Milvago carbo

Valid

Sp. nov.

William Suárez Duque

Storrs L. Olson

Quaternary, possibly Late Pleistocene or Early Holocene

Las Breas de San Felipe

 Cuba

A Falconidae.

Morus peruvianus

Valid

Sp. nov.

Marcelo Stucchi

Pliocene

Pisco Formation

 Peru

A Sulidae.

Namibiavis senutae

Gen. et sp. nov

valid

Cécile Mourer-Chauviré

Middle Miocene

MN 4

 Namibia

Initially thought to be an Idiornithidae, Cariamiformes but in 2011 reinterpreted as an Opisthocomidae, a relative of the hoatzin. The type species of Namibiavis Mourer-Chauviré, 2003.

Nycticorax olsoni

Valid

Sp. nov.

W. R. P. Bourne

N. P. Ashmole

K. E. L. Simmons

Subrecent

Ascension Island

 Ascension Island

An Ardeidae.

Palaeogrus mainburgensis

Valid

Sp. nov.

Ursula B. Göhlich

Early Middle Miocene (MN 5)

Upper Freshwater Molasse

 Germany

 Bavaria

A Gruidae.

Parargornis messelensis

Valid

Gen. nov et Sp. nov.

Gerald Mayr

Early Middle Eocene

Messel pit,

MP 11

 Germany

 Hessen

An Apodiformes, Cypselavidae Mourer-Chauviré, 2006.

Shandongornis yinansis

Valid

Gen. nov et Sp. nov.

Hou Lianhai

Pliocene

 China

A Phasianidae.

Spheniscus chilensis

Valid

Sp. nov.

Steven D. Emslie

Carlos Guerra Correa

Pliocene

Mejillones Formation

 Chile

A Spheniscidae.

Spheniscus megaramphus

Valid

Sp. nov.

Marcello Stucchi

Mario Urbina

Alfredo Giraldo

Late Miocene

Pisco Formation

 Peru

A Spheniscidae.

Sula magna

Valid

Sp. nov.

Marcello Stucchi

Late Miocene-Early Pliocene

Pisco Formation

 Peru

A Sulidae.

Sula sulita

Valid

Sp. nov.

Marcello Stucchi

Late Miocene-Early Pliocene

Pisco Formation

 Peru

A Sulidae.

Wyomingcypselus pohli

Nomen Nudum

Thesis name.

Ilka Weidig

Early Eocene

Green River Formation

 USA:

 Wyoming

An Apodiformes.

Plesiosaurs

Name Status Authors Notes

Terminonatator

Valid

Sato

Thililua

Valid

Bardet Suberbiola Jalil

Pterosaurs

Name Status Authors Notes

Beipiaopterus

Valid

Lü J.-C.

Chaoyangopterus

Valid

Wang Zhou

Harpactognathus

Valid

Carpenter Unwin et al.

Jidapterus

Valid

Dong, Sun, & Wu,

Liaoningopterus

Valid

Wang X.-L. and Zhou Z.-H

Liaoningopteryx

Valid

Wang X. Zhao

Ludodactylus

Valid

Frey, E., Martill Buchy, M

Nurhachius

Valid

Wang Kellner et al.

Phosphatodraco

Valid

Pereda-Suberbiola N. Bardet et al.

Sinopterus

Valid

Wang, X. Zhou, Z

Synapsids

Non-mammalian

Name Status Authors Discovery year Age Unit Location Notes Images

Archaeovenator

Valid

  • Reisz
  • Dilkes

Upper Carboniferous
(Upper Pennsylvanian)

Hamilton Quarry

 USA

a pelycosaur

Brasilitherium

Valid

  • Bonaparte
  • Martinelli
  • Schultz
  • Rupert

 Brazil

Brasilodon

Valid

  • Bonaparte
  • Martinelli
  • Schultz
  • Rupert

 Brazil

Bullacephalus

Valid

  • Rubidge
  • Kitching

 South Africa

Colobodectes

Valid

  • Modesto
  • Rubidge
  • Visser
  • Welman

Upper/Middle Permian
(Capitanian)

Abrahamskraal formation

 South Africa

an anomodont

Lanthanostegus

Valid

  • Modesto
  • Rubidge
  • Welman

Middle/Upper Permian
(Capitanian)

 South Africa

an anomodont; replacement name for Lanthanocephalus Modesto, Rubidge & Welman, 2002, preoccupied by the cnidarian genus Lanthanocephalus Williams & Starmer, 2000

Santacruzodon

Valid

  • Abdala
  • Ribeiro

 Brazil

Xiyukannemeyeria

Valid

  • Liu
  • Li

Middle Triassic
(Anisian)

 China

an anomodont; new genus for "Parakannemeyeria" brevirostris

Mammals

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Caracal depereti

Sp nov

Disputed

Morales et al.

Pliocene

 Spain

A Caracal. Boscaini et al. (2016) considered this species to be a junior synonym of Lynx issiodorensis.

Guangxicyon Gen. et sp. nov. Valid Zhai et al. Eocene Nadu Formation  China An amphicyonid.

Iridodon

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Morlo & Gunnell

Bridgerian

Wasatch Formation

 United States

A limnocyonid hyaenodont.The type species is I. datzae.

Kogolepithecus

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Pickford et al.

Miocene

 Uganda

A catarrhine of uncertain affinity. The type species is K. morotoensis.

Yuesthonyx Gen. et sp. nov. Valid Tong, Wang & Fu Paleocene Dazhang Formation  China A tillodont. The type species is Y. tingae.

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