2003 in paleontology

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Template:Redirect category shell Template:Sister project 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 Template:Show by date 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	Eocene Ypresian	Okanagan Highlands Klondike Mountain Formation	USA Template:Country data Washington	A hornbeam	File:Carpinus parryae fruit SRIC SR 11-06-09 A img1.tif Carpinus parryae
Corylus johnsonii	Sp nov	Valid	Pigg, Manchester, & Wehr	Eocene Ypresian	Okanagan Highlands Klondike Mountain Formation	USA Template:Country data Washington	A hazelnut	File:Corylus johnsonii Holotype SR 98-01-02 A.jpg Corylus johnsonii
Palaeocarpinus barksdaleae	Sp nov	Valid	Pigg, Manchester, & Wehr	Eocene Ypresian	Okanagan Highlands Klondike Mountain Formation	USA Template:Country data Washington	A betulaceous fruit	File:Palaeocarpinus barksdaleae fruit 01.jpg Palaeocarpinus barksdaleae
Palaeocarpinus dentatus	Comb nov	Valid	(Penhallow) Pigg, Manchester, & Wehr	Eocene Ypresian	Okanagan Highlands "Stump lake", Coldwater Beds	Canada British Columbia	A betulaceous fruit; moved from Carpolithes dentatus (1890)
Palaeocarpinus stonebergae	Sp nov	Valid	Pigg, Manchester, & Wehr	Eocene Ypresian	Okanagan Highlands 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	File:Cornupalpatum burmanicum Burmese amber.jpg 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)	File:Archimyrmex piatnitzkyi NHMW1976-1783-6 profile.jpg 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	File:Brownimecia clavata AMNH-NJ667 holotype 01.jpg 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	File:Lasioglossum celinae holotype MNHN.F.R11185 direct lighting.jpg 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	File:Dehon et al 2019 Zookeys Fig1-D Bombus (Mendacibombus) beskonakensis.jpg 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)	File:Dehon et al 2019 Zookeys Fig1-D Bombus (Paraelectrobombus) patriciae.jpg 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	File:Xylocopa celineae holotype MNHN part side direct lighting.jpg 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	File:Bunostegos akokanensis.jpg 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		File:Aviatyrannis.jpg
Bainoceratops	Valid taxon	Tereschenko Alifanov	China
Brohisaurus	Valid taxon	Malkani	Pakistan
Colepiocephale	Valid taxon	Sullivan	Canada		File:Colepiocephale updating version.JPG
"Domeykosaurus"	Nomen nudum	Rubilar-Rogers and Vargas vide: Anonymous on May 29, 2003 Reuters news reports.	Chile
Dromaeosauroides	Valid taxon	Christiansen Bonde	Denmark		File:Dromaeosauroides.jpg 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)		File:Hanssuesia sternbergi.jpg Hanssuesia
Heyuannia	Valid taxon	Lü	China		File:Ajancingenia restoration.jpg Heyuannia
Hongshanosaurus	Valid taxon	You Xu X. Wang X.	China		File:Hongshanosaurus houi 1.JPG Hongshanosaurus
Isisaurus	Valid taxon	Jeffrey A. Wilson. Upchurch	India		File:Isisaurus colberti reconstruction.png 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	You Dong Zhiming	China		File:MagnirostrisDodsoni(Skull)-PaleozoologicalMuseumOfChina-May23-08.jpg 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		File:Olorotitan DB.jpg Olorotitan File:Olorotitan 28-12-2007 14-52-33.jpg Olorotitan
Platyceratops	Valid taxon	Alifanov	Mongolia
Rajasaurus	Valid taxon	Jeffrey A. Wilson. Sereno Srivastava Bhatt Khosla Sahni	India		File:Rajasaurus restoration.jpg Rajasaurus
Rinconsaurus	Valid taxon	Calvo González-Riga (as González Riga)	Argentina		File:Rinconsaurus test 2.jpg 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	Ji Q. Mark Norell Makovicky Gao K. Ji S. Yuan	China
Shuangmiaosaurus	Valid taxon	You Ji Q. Li J. Li Y. X.	China
Silesaurus	Valid taxon	Dzik	Poland		File:Silesaurus opolensis flipped.jpg Silesaurus
Sinornithomimus	Valid taxon	Kobayashi Lü	China		File:Sinornithomimus.jpg 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		File:Zalmoxes dichotomy.jpg Zalmoxes
Zupaysaurus	Valid taxon	Arcucci & Coria	Argentina		File:Zupaysaurus.jpg 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		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	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.