1923 in paleontology

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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 1923.

Plants

Conifers

Araucariaceae

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Araucarioxylon texense[2]	Sp nov		Torrey	Cretaceous Comanchean	Glen Rose Formation	US  Texas	An araucarian wood morphospecies	Araucarioxylon texense

†Cheirolepidiaceae

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Brachyoxylon comanchense[2]	Sp nov		Torrey	Cretaceous Comanchean	Glen Rose Formation	US  Texas	A cheirolepidiaceous wood morphospecies	Brachyoxylon comanchense
Brachyoxylon raritanense[2]	Sp nov		Torrey	Cretaceous Turonian	Raritan Formation	US  New Jersey	A cheirolepidiaceous wood morphospecies	Brachyoxylon raritanense
Brachyoxylon woodworthianum[2]	Sp nov		Torrey	Cretaceous Turonian	Raritan Formation	US  Massachusetts	A cheirolepidiaceous wood morphospecies	Brachyoxylon woodworthianum
Telephragmoxylon brachyphylloides[2]	Sp nov		Torrey	Cretaceous Comanchean		US  Texas	A cheirolepidiaceous wood morphospecies Location given as "Weatherford, Texas"	Telephragmoxylon brachyphylloides
Telephragmoxylon comanchense[2]	Sp nov		Torrey	Cretaceous Comanchean		US  Texas	A cheirolepidiaceous wood morphospecies Location given as "Weatherford, Texas"	Telephragmoxylon comanchense
Voltzioxylon[2]	Gen et sp nov	jr synonym	Torrey	Triassic Late Triassic	Dockum group	US  Texas	A cheirolepidiaceous wood morphogenus Considered a jr synonym of Protocupressinoxylon (1949) The type species is V. dockumense	Protocupressinoxylon dockumense

Cupressaceae

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Metacupressinoxylon[2]	Gen et comb nov		Torrey	Jurassic		UK  England	A cupressaceous wood morphogenus The type species is Paracupressinoxylon cedroides (1913)
Paracupressinoxylon trinitense[2]	Sp nov		Torrey	Cretaceous Comanchean	Trinity Group	US  Texas	A cupressaceous wood morphospecies location given as "near Weatherford, Texas"	Paracupressinoxylon trinitense
Sequoioxylon[2]	Gen, sp, et comb nov		Torrey	Cretaceous Maastrichtian	Laramie Formation	US  Montana	A redwood wood morphogenus The type species is S. montanense Includes the new species S. dakotense, S. laramense Also includes Sequoia burgessii (1903)	Sequoioxylon montanense

Pinaceae

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Abies longirostris[3][4]	Sp nov	jr Synonym	Knowlton	Oligocene Chattian	Creede Formation	US  Colorado	A possible bristlecone fir species A jr synonym of Abies rigida (1990)
Abies rigida[3][4]	Sp nov	valid	Knowlton	Oligocene Chattian	Creede Formation	US  Colorado	A possible bristlecone fir species	Abies rigida
Pinus coloradensis[3][4]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Knowlton	Oligocene Chattian	Creede Formation	US  Colorado	A bristle cone pine species A jr synonym of Pinus crossii (1990)
Pinus crossii[3][4]	Sp nov	Valid	Knowlton	Oligocene Chattian	Creede Formation	US  Colorado	A bristle cone pine species
Pinus similis[3][4]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Knowlton	Oligocene Chattian	Creede Formation	US  Colorado	A bristle cone pine species A jr synonym of Pinus crossii (1990)
Pityoxylon scituatensiforme[2]	Comb nov		(Bailey) Torrey	Cretaceous Turonian	Raritan Formation	US  New Jersey	A pinaceous wood morphospecies Moved from Pinus scituatensiforme (1911)	Pityoxylon scituatensiforme
Pseudotsuga annulata[2]	Comb nov		(Platen) Torrey	Pliocene		US  California	A Douglas fir wood morphospecies Moved from Pityoxylon annulatum (1907)	Pseudotsuga annulata

Podocarpaceae

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Podocarpoxylon dakotense[2]	Sp nov		Torrey	Cretaceous	Laramie group	US  North Dakota	A "podocarpaceous" wood morphospecies Podocarpoxylon Noted by Torrey to be very similar to Cupressaceae and problematic in definition.
Podocarpoxylon texense[2]	Sp nov		Torrey	Eocene		US  Texas	A podocarpaceous wood morphospecies Location given as "lignite mine at Rockdale station, Texas" Podocarpoxylon Noted by Torrey to be very similar to Cupressaceae and problematic in definition.	Podocarpoxylon texense
Podocarpoxylon washingtonense[2]	Sp nov		Torrey	Miocene	Wilkes Formation	US  Washington	A podocarpaceous wood morphospecies Location given as "Salmon Creek" Podocarpoxylon Noted by Torrey to be very similar to Cupressaceae and problematic in definition.	Podocarpoxylon washingtonense

Angiosperms

Basal eudicots

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Odostemon hakeaefolia[3][4]	Comb nov	Jr synonym	(Lesquereux) Knowlton	Eocene Priabonian	Florissant Formation	US  Colorado	A Mahonia species Moved from Lomatia hakeaefolia (1883) Moved to Mahonia hakeaefolia (1936) Specimens from Creede combined into Mahonia aceroides (1990)
Odostemon(?) marginata[3][4]	Comb nov	Jr synonym	(Lesquereux) Knowlton	Eocene Priabonian	Florissant Formation	US  Colorado	A Mahonia species Moved from Hedera marginata (1883) Moved to Mahonia marginata (1936) Specimens from Creede combined into Mahonia aceroides (1990)

Superroids

Fagales

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Alnus? larseni[3][4]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Knowlton	Oligocene Chattian	Creede Formation	US  Colorado	First identified as a possible Alder species Moved to Populus larsenii (1990)
Rubus? inquirendus[3][4]	Sp nov		Knowlton	Oligocene Chattian	Creede Formation	US  Colorado	A possible bramble species flower

Malvales

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Sterculia aceroides[3][4]	Sp nov	Jr synonym	Knowlton	Oligocene Chattian	Creede Formation	US  Colorado	First identified as a Sterculia species Moved to Mahonia aceroides (1990)

Incertae sedis

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Phyllites potentilloides[3][4]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Knowlton	Oligocene Chattian	Huerto Formation	US  Colorado	First identified as a leaf of uncertain affiliation Moved to Sorbus potentilloldes (1987)

Arthropoda

Insects

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Archimyrmex[5]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Cockerell	Eocene Lutetian	Green River Formation	USA	A myrmeciine ant The type species is A. rostratus	Archimyrmex rostratus

Archosauromorpha

Newly named dinosaurs

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

Name	Status	Author	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Altispinax[7]	Valid taxon	Friedrich von Huene	Early Cretaceous (middle Valanginian)	Wadhurst Clay Formation	England	A possible carcharodontosaurid.
Lambeosaurus[8]	Valid taxon	Parks	middle-late Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Canada ( Alberta)	A lambeosaurine hadrosaurid.	Lambeosaurus
Lametasaurus[9]	Nomen dubium.	Matley	late Maastrichtian	Lameta Formation	India	A composite of abelisaurid and titanosaur remains.
Pentaceratops[10]	Valid taxon	Henry Fairfield Osborn	late Campanian	Kirtland Formation Fruitland Formation	United States ( Colorado and  New Mexico)	A chasmosaurine ceratopsid.	Pentaceratops
"Protiguanodon"[11]	Junior synonym of Psittacosaurus.	Henry Fairfield Osborn	Barremian	Öösh Formation		A junior synonym of the psittacosaurid ceratopsian Psittacosaurus.
Protoceratops[12]	Valid taxon	Granger and Gregory	middle-late Campanian	Djadochta Formation	Mongolia	A protoceratopsid ceratopsian.	Protoceratops
"Protrachodon"[13][14]	Nomen nudum?	Nopcsa				Mentioned in print, but never given full description
Psittacosaurus[11]	Valid taxon	Henry Fairfield Osborn	Barremian	Öösh Formation	China  Mongolia  Russia  Thailand	A little psittacosaurid ceratopsian.	Psittacosaurus
Thecocoelurus[7]	Nomen dubium.	Friedrich von Huene	Barremian	Wessex Formation	England	An ornithomimosaur. New genus for "Thecospondylus" daviesi Seeley, 1888.

Pterosaurs

New taxa

Name	Status	Authors		Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Anurognathus	Valid	Döderlein		Tithonian	Solnhofen Limestone	Germany	An anurognathid. a Pterosaur with a Bat-like lifestyle.	Anurognathus

Synapsids

Non-mammalian

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Location	Notes	Images
Burnetia	Valid	Robert Broom	255 million years ago	South Africa	A biarmosuchian, a member of Burnetiidae. with weird-looking knobs on its head.	Burnetia
Dinophoneus	Junior synonym	Robert Broom		South Africa	A titanosuchid. Junior synonym of Jonkeria.

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. Torrey, R. E. (1923). "The comparative anatomy and phylogeny of the Coniferales Part 3: Mesozoic and Tertiary coniferous woods". Proceedings and Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada. 3. Vol. 6 (no. 2). Memoirs of the Boston Society of Natural History. pp. 38–103.
3. Knowlton, F.H. (1923). Fossil plants from the Tertiary lake beds of South-Сentral Colorado (Report). Professional Paper. Vol. 131-G. United States Geological Survey. pp. 183–197. doi:10.3133/pp131G.
4. Wolfe, J.A.; Schorn, H.E. (1990). Taxonomic revision of the Spermatopsida of the Oligocene Creede flora, southern Colorado (Report). Bulletin. Vol. 1923. United States Geological Survey. pp. 1–40. doi:10.3133/b1923.
5. Dlussky, G.M. (2012). "New Fossil Ants of the Subfamily Myrmeciinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Germany". Paleontological Journal. 46 (3): 288–292. doi:10.1134/s0031030111050054.
6. Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
7. Huene, F. von. 1923. Carnivorous Saurischia in Europe since the Triassic. Bull. Geol. Soc. America 34: pp. 449-458.
8. Parks, W.A. 1923. Corythosaurus intermedius, a new species of trachodont dinosaur. Univ. Toronto Stud. (Geol. Ser.) 13: pp. 1-32.
9. Matley, C.A. 1923. Note on an armoured dinosaur from the Lameta beds of Jubbulpore. Rec. Geol. Survey India 55 (2): pp. 105-109.
10. Osborn, H.F. 1923. A new genus and species of Ceratopsia from New Mexico, Pentaceratops stennbergi. Amer. Mus. Novitates 93: pp. 1-3.
11. Osborn, H.F. 1923. Two Lower Cretaceous dinosaurs from Mongolia. Amer. Mus. Novitates 95: pp. 1-10.
12. Granger, W. and W.K. Gregory. 1923. Protoceratops andrewsi, a preceratopian dinosaur from Mongolia. Amer. Museum Novitates 42: pp. 1-9.
13. Nopcsa, F. 1923. Die Familien der Reptilien. Fortschr. Geol. Palaeontol. 2: pp. 1-210.
14. B. F. Nopcsa. 1923. On the geological importance of the primitive reptilian fauna in the uppermost Cretaceous of Hungary; with a description of a new tortoise (Kallokibotion). Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society 74:100-116