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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 2017.
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Whiteside, Duffin & Furrer |
A basal member of Rhynchocephalia. The type species is D. elvetica. |
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Sp. nov |
Valid |
Whiteside & Duffin |
Late Triassic (Rhaetian) |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Whiteside & Duffin |
Late Triassic (Rhaetian) |
A member of the family Gephyrosauridae. The type species is P. curtiscoppi. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Bever & Norell |
A relative of pleurosaurids. The type species is V. herzogi. |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gaimanophis powelli[32] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Albino |
Late Miocene |
India Muerta Formation |
A boa. |
||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Otero et al. |
Late Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) |
A mosasaur. The type species is K. hervei. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
DeMar et al. |
Late Cretaceous (Campanian) |
A member of Iguanomorpha (the group containing crown and stem-iguanians) related to Saichangurvel davidsoni and Temujinia ellisoni. The type species is M. ovimonsensis. |
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Norisophis[35] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Klein et al. |
Cretaceous |
||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Codrea, Venczel & Solomon |
A member of Teiioidea, possibly a relative of Barbatteius vremiri. Genus includes new species O. glyphis. |
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Pholidoscelis turukaeraensis[37] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Bochaton et al. |
Late Pleistocene and Holocene |
France |
A member of Teiidae. |
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Schoenesmahl[38] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Conrad |
A relative of Ardeosaurus found in the abdominal cavity of the holotype specimen of Compsognathus longipes. The type species is S. dyspepsia. |
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Stefanikia[39] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Čerňanský & Smith |
A lizard related to Eolacerta and the wall lizards. The type species is S. siderea. |
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Varanus mokrensis[40] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Ivanov et al. |
Early Miocene |
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Sp. nov |
Valid |
Dong, Wang & Evans |
Early Cretaceous |
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Sp. nov |
Valid |
Dong, Wang & Evans |
Early Cretaceous |
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Zilantophis[42] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Jasinski & Moscato |
Late Hemphillian |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Paparella et al. |
Late Jurassic |
A member of Ophthalmosauridae. The type species is G. nicosiai. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Disputed |
Delsett et al. |
Early Cretaceous (early Berriasian) |
A member of Ophthalmosauridae. The type species is K. nui. Zverkov & Prilepskaya (2019) considered Keilhauia to be a junior synonym of the genus Arthropterygius, and considered K. nui to be nomen dubium;[51] Delsett et al. (2019) rejected this synonymy.[52] |
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Sp. nov |
Valid |
Lomax, Massare & Mistry |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Gómez-Pérez & Noè |
A member of the family Pliosauridae. Genus includes new species A. pavachoquensis. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Marquez-Aliaga et al. |
Cañete Formation |
A marine reptile with nothosauroid affinities. The type species is H. cranioelongatus. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Sachs, Hornung & Kear |
Early Cretaceous (probably late Hauterivian) |
A member of Elasmosauridae. The type species is L. richterae. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Fischer et al. |
A member of Pliosauridae. The type species is L. itilensis. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Frey et al. |
Late Cretaceous |
Aguas Nuevas Formation |
A member of Polycotylidae. The type species is M. fernandezi. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Serratos, Druckenmiller & Benson |
Late Cretaceous (early Maastrichtian) |
A member of Elasmosauridae. The type species is N. bradti. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Wintrich et al. |
An early plesiosaur, possibly a basal member of Pliosauridae. The type species is R. mertensi. |
||||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Smith & Araújo |
A member of the family Rhomaleosauridae. The type species is T. wiedenrothi. |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andrewsemys[113] |
Gen. et comb. nov |
Valid |
Pérez-García |
A member of the family Podocnemididae belonging to the subfamily Erymnochelyinae; a new genus for "Stereogenys" libyca Andrews (1903). |
||||
Apalone amorense[114] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Valdes, Bourque & Vitek |
A species of Apalone. |
||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Myers et al. |
Early Paleocene |
|||||
Chelonoidis marcanoi[116] |
Sp. nov |
Disputed |
Turvey et al. |
Late Quaternary |
A tortoise, a species of Chelonoidis. Considered to be a nomen dubium by Albury et al. (2018).[117] |
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Eocenochelus[118] |
Gen. et comb. et 2 sp. nov |
Valid |
Pérez-García, de Lapparent de Broin & Murelaga |
Eocene (middle Ypresian to Priabonian) |
A member of Podocnemididae belonging to the subfamily Erymnochelyinae. The type species is "Erymnochelys" eremberti Broin (1977); genus also includes new species E. lacombianus and E. farresi. |
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Lutemys[121] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Lyson, Joyce & Sertich |
A stem-kinosternoid. Genus includes new species L. warreni. |
||||
Mendozachelys[122] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
De la Fuente et al. |
Late Cretaceous (late Campanian–early Maastrichtian) |
Loncoche Formation |
A member of Chelidae. The type species is M. wichmanni. |
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Perochelys hengshanensis[123] |
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Brinkman, Rabi & Zhao |
Hengshan Formation |
A pan-trionychid. |
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Petrochelys[124] |
Gen. et comb. nov |
Valid |
Vitek et al. |
Early Cretaceous (Albian) |
A member of Trionychidae; a new genus for "Trionyx" kyrgyzensis Nessov (1995). |
|||
Sp. nov |
Valid |
Püntener, Anquetin & Billon-Bruyat |
A member of the family Plesiochelyidae. |
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Rionegrochelys[126] |
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
De la Fuente, Maniel & Jannello in De La Fuente et al. |
A relative of members of the family Chelidae. The type species is R. caldieroi. |
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“Trionyx” onomatoplokos[127] |
Nom. nov |
Valid |
Georgalis & Joyce |
Late Cretaceous (Santonian–early Campanian) |
A member of Pan-Trionychidae of uncertain phylogenetic placement; a replacement name for Palaeotrionyx riabinini Kuznetsov & Chkhikvadze (1987). |
Main article: 2017 in archosaur paleontology |
Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gen. et sp. nov |
Pritchard & Nesbitt |
Late Triassic (late Norian or Rhaetian) |
A member of the family Drepanosauridae. The type species is A. renestoi. |
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Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Li et al. |
A long-necked archosauromorph reptile of uncertain phylogenetic placement, possibly a member of Protorosauria. The type species is P. zhenyuensis. |
|||||
Gen. et sp. nov |
Valid |
Sengupta, Ezcurra & Bandyopadhyay |
Denwa Formation |
An archosauromorph reptile belonging to the group Allokotosauria and the family Azendohsauridae. The type species is S. indicus. |