# 1988 in paleontology

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 1988.

## Plants
### Angiosperms

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymy | Notes | Images |
| Hemiptelea mikii | sp nov | | Minaki, Noshiro, & Suzuki | Pleistocene | | Japan | | An ulmaceous species | |
| Keratosperma | Gen et sp nov | valid | Cevallos-Ferriz & Stockey | Eocene Ypresian | Okanagan Highlands Princeton Chert | Canada British Columbia | | A lasioid arum family seed genus. The type species is K. allenbyensis | |
| Pistillipollianthus | Gen et sp nov | valid | Stockey & Manchester | Eocene Ypresian | Okanagan Highlands Horsefly Shales | Canada British Columbia | | A flower of uncertain affinities The type species is P. wilsoni. Producer of the Pistillipollenites macgregorii palynomorph. | |
| Salmonensea | Gen et Comb nov | Valid | Wolfe & Wehr | late Middle Eocene | Salmon Flora | USA Idaho | | A rosaceous genus The type species is S. prefoliolosa Moved from Chamaebatia prefoliolosa (1935) | Salmonensea prefoliolosa |
| Sorbaria wahrhaftigii | Sp nov | Valid | Wolfe & Wehr | Eocene latest Eocene | Rex Creek Flora | USA Alaska | | A rosaceous species | Sorbaria wahrhaftigii |
| Stockeya | Gen, sp et Comb nov | Valid | Wolfe & Wehr | late Oligocene | Creede Formation | USA Colorado | Chamaebatiaria creedensis (1937) | A rosaceous genus The type species is S. creedensis Also includes S. montana | Stockeya montana |
| Stonebergia | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Wolfe & Wehr | Eocene Ypresian | Okanagan Highlands Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | | A rosaceous genus The type species is S. columbiana | Stonebergia columbiana |

## Arthropods
### Crustaceans

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Pseudotealliocaris palincsari | Sp nov | jr synonym | Schram | Famennian | Huntley Mountain Formation | USA Pennsylvania | Moved to the genus Tealliocaris in 2013. Though initially reported to be from the Pocono Formation, the deposits it was found in are now considered part of the Huntley Mountain Formation. | |

### Insects

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Aneuretellus | Gen et sp nov | valid | Dlussky | Middle Eocene | Sakhalin amber | Russia | An aneuretine ant | |
| Protopone primigena | Gen et sp nov | valid | Dlussky | Middle Eocene | Sakhalin amber | Russia | A ponerine ant | Protopone primigena |
| Zherichinius | Gen et 2 sp nov | valid | Dlussky | Middle Eocene | Sakhalin amber | Russia | A dolichoderine ant The type species is Z. horiibilis Also includes Z. rapax | Zherichinius horribilis |

## Archosauromorphs
### Newly named non-avian dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.
* The dubious family, Ornitholestidae is named by Gregory Scott Paul.
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymy | Notes | Images |
| Anserimimus | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Barsbold | Late Cretaceous | Nemegt Formation | Mongolia | | An ornithomimid theropod | Anserimimus planinychus |
| Brachylophosaurus goodwini | Sp nov | Junior synonym | Horner | Campanian | McClellend Ferry Member, Judith River Formation | USA Montana | | A saurolophine hadrosaurid. Junior synonym of Brachylophosaurus canadensis or an indeterminate brachylophosaurin. | |
| Cathetosaurus | Gen et sp nov | valid | Jensen | Late Jurassic | | USA Colorado | | A camarasauromorph sauropod The type species is C. lewisi | Cathetosaurus lewisi |
| "Chassternbergia" | Subgen Nov | Junior synonym | Bakker | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Canada Alberta | | Jr synonym of Edmontonia | Edmontonia rugosidens |
| Denversaurus | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Bakker | Cretaceous late Maastrichtian | Lance Formation | USA | | A nodosaurid | Denversaurus schlessmani (on left) |
| Giraffatitan | Gen et comb nov | Valid | Paul | Late Jurassic | Tendaguru formation | Tanzania | Brachiosaurus brancai 1914 Brachiosaurus fraasi 1914 | A sauropod The type species is G. brancai | Giraffatitan brancai |
| "Hironosaurus" | Gen nov | Nomen nudum | Hisa | Late Cretaceous | | Japan | | A possible hadrosaurid, undescribed | |
| "Kagasaurus" | Gen nov | Nomen nudum | Hisa | Early Cretaceous | | Japan | | A possible dromeosaurid, undescribed | |
| Kotasaurus | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Yadagiri | Early Jurassic | Kota Formation | India | | A basal sauropod | |
| Nanotyrannus | Gen et comb nov | Valid? | Bakker, Williams, & Currie | Late Cretaceous | Lance Formation | USA Montana | | Possible junior synonym of Tyrannosaurus. | Nanotyrannus lancensis |
| Orodromeus | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Horner & Weishampel | Cretaceous Campanian | Two Medicine Formation | | | An ornithopod The type species is O. makelai | Orodromeus makelai |
| "Protognathus" | Gen et sp nov | Senior synonym | Zhang | Middle Jurassic | Shaximiao Formation | China | | Junior homonym of Protognathus Basilewsky, 1950; (syn. for Pseudognathaphanus, Schauberger, 1932);renamed Protognathosaurus in 1991 | |
| "Stenotholus" | Gen et sp nov | Junior synonym | Giffin, Gabriel, & Johnson | Late Cretaceous | Hell Creek Formation | USA Montana | | Junior synonym of Stygimoloch | Stygimoloch spinifer |

### Newly named birds

| Name | Status | Novelty | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Ciconia kahli | Valid | Sp. nov. | Haarhoff | Early Pliocene | Varswater Formation | South Africa | A Ciconiidae. |
| Diomedea rumana | Valid | Sp. nov. | Grigorescu & Kessler | Middle Miocene | | Romania | A Diomedeidae. |
| Gymnogyps kofordi | Valid | Sp. nov. | Emslie | Pleistocene Irvingtonian | | USA Florida | A Cathartidae. |
| Hadrogyps | Valid | Gen. et sp. nov. | Emslie | Middle Miocene Barstovian | Round Mountain Silt | USA California | A cathartid The type species is H. aigialeus. |
| Jungornis | Valid | Fam, gen et sp nov. | Karkhu | Early Oligocene | Maykop Formation | Russia | A Jungornithidae Apodiformes the type species is J. tesselatus. |
| Lithornis | Valid | Subord, Fam, Gen et sp. nov. | Houde | Late Paleocene Early Tiffanian | Fort Union Formation | USA Montana | A lithornithid palaeognathaen The genus includes L. celetius, L. plebius, & L. promiscuus |
| Messelornis | Valid | Fam, gen et sp nov. | Hesse | Eocene Ypresian | Messel Formation | Germany Hessen | A Messelornithidae Ralliformes The type species is M. cristata. |
| Morus olsoni | Valid | Sp. nov. | Grigorescu & Kessler | Middle Miocene | | Romania | A Sulidae. |
| Pachyplichas | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Millener | Late Quaternary Otiran Glacial Stage? | | New Zealand | An Acanthisittidae The type species is P. yaldwyni. Also includes P. jagmi |
| Phocavis maritimus | Valid | Gen et Sp nov. | Goedert | Late Eocene | Keasey Formation | USA Oregon | A Plotopteridae Pelecaniformes The type species is P. maritimus |
| Porphyrio paepae | Valid | Sp. nov. | Steadman | Holocene | Tahuata & Hiva Oa | French Polynesia Marquesas Islands | A Rallidae. |
| Primocolius | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Mourer-Chauviré | Late Eocene | Phosphorites du Quercy | France | A Coliidae. The type species is P. sigei Also includes P. minor |
| Pseudocrypturus | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Houde | Eocene Ypresian | Green River Formation | USA Wyoming | A Lithornithidae Palaeognathae. The type species is P. cercanaxius. |
| Psilopterus colzecus | Valid | Sp. nov. | Tonni & Tambussi | Late Miocene Chasicoan | Arroyo Chasicó Formation | Argentina | A Psilopterinae Phorusrhacidae. |
| Sula tasmani | Valid | Sp. nov. | Tets, Meredith, Fullagar, & Davidson | Holocene | Lord Howe & Norfolk Islands | Australia New South Wales | A Sulidae, |
| Sylphornis | Valid | Fam, gen et sp. nov. | Mourer-Chauviré | Late Eocene | | France | A Sylphornithidae basal Piciformes The type species is S. bretouensis |
| Taubacrex | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Alvarenga | Late Oligocene-Early Miocene | Tremembé Formation | Brazil | A Quercymegapodiidae the type species is T. granivora |
| Tshulia | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Nessov | Late Paleocene | | Kazakhstan | A possibe Rallidae The type species is T. litorea |
| Ventivorus | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Mourer-Chauviré | Late Eocene | | France | A Caprimulgidae The type species is V. ragei. |
| Zheroia | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Nessov | Eocene Bartonian | | Uzbekistan | A Graculavidae genus The type species is Z. kurochkini. |
| Zhylgaia | Valid | Gen et sp nov. | Nessov | Late Paleocene | | Kazakhstan | A Prophaethontidae Pelecaniformes The type species is Z. aestiflua |

## Pterosaurs
### New taxa

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymy | Notes | Images |
| Tupuxuara | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Kellner & Campos | Cretaceous | Santana Formation | Brazil | | A Thalassodromidae pterosaur | Tupuxuara leonardii |