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 1939.

Arthropods

Newly named Arachnids

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Segestria succinei[2]	Sp nov	Valid	Berland	Early Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	A segestriid spider

Newly named insects

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Ctenobethylus succinalis[3]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Brues	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil Dolichoderine ant, type species C. succinalis jr synonym of Ctenobethylus goepperti
Protonephrocerus collini[4]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Carpenter & Hull	Priabonian	Baltic Amber	Russia	A big-headed fly; moved to Metanephrocerus collini in 1948
Protonephrocerus florissantius[5]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Carpenter & Hull	Priabonian	Florissant Formation	USA ( Colorado)	A big-headed fly; moved to Priabona florissantius

Archosauromorpha

Newly named dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevky's dinosaur genera list.^[6]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Omeisaurus	Gen et sp nov	valid	Young	Bathonian-Callovian	Shaximiao Formation	China	A sauropod

Plesiosaurs

• Plesiosaur gastroliths documented.^[7]