# 1968 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 1968.

## Flora
### Ferns and fern allies

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
| Allantodiopsis pugetensis | Sp nov | valid | Wolfe | Middle Eocene | Puget Group "Lower Fultonian" | USA Washington | A dryopteridaceous fern | Allantodiopsis pugetensis |

### Angiosperms

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes |
| Alnus kluckingi | Sp nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Upper Ravenian" | Puget Group "below Kummer sandstone bed" Loc 9837 | USA Washington | A alder species. |
| Anacardites franklinensis | Sp nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Lower Fultonian" | Roslyn Formation | USA Washington | A cashew foliage form genus. |
| Artocarpoides kummerensis | Sp nov | jr synonym | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Upper Ravenian" | Puget Group "below Cashman bed" Loc 9731 | USA Washington | A dicot of uncertain affinity. Moved to Dicotylophyllum kummerensis (1977) Moved to Republica kummerensis (1987) |
| Artocarpoides litseafolia | Comb nov | jr synonym | (MacGinitie) Wolfe | Eocene Ypresian | Ione Formation "Chalk Bluff Flora" Loc P3324 | USA California | A dicot of uncertain affinity. Moved from Lauropliyllum litseafolia (1941) Moved to Dicotylophyllum litseafolia (1969). Moved to Republica litseafolia (1987) |
| Calkinsia | Gen et sp nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Upper Ravenian" | Puget Group "below Cashman bed" Loc 9731 | USA Washington | A moon seed relative. The type species is C. franklinensis |
| Camellia multiforma | Comb nov | valid | (Potbury) Wolfe | Latest Eocene-Earliest Oligocene | La Porte Tuff | USA California | A Camellia species. Moved from Euphorbiophyllum multiformum (1935) |
| Carya cashmanensis | Sp nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Upper Ravenian" | Puget Group "below Cashman bed" Loc 9731 | USA Washington | A hickory relative. |
| Carya pugetensis | Sp nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Upper Ravenian" | Puget Group "below Kummer sandstone bed" Loc 9680 | USA Washington | A hickory relative. |
| Castanopsis franklinensis | Sp. nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Lower Fultonian" | Puget Group "Above Franklin bed 12" Loc 9678 | USA Washington | A chinquapin species. |
| Cladrastis pugetensis | Sp. nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Upper Ravenian" | Puget Group "below Cashman bed" Loc 9731 | USA Washington | A Cladrastis species legume. |
| Dryophyllum pugetensis | Sp. nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Lower Ravenian" | Puget Group "Between Ravensdale beds 3 & 4" Loc 9694 | USA Washington | A Dryophyllum species. |
| Fothergilla durhamensis | Sp. nov | jr synonym | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Upper Fultonian" | Puget Group "Below Durham bed 1" Loc 9832 | USA Washington | A platanaceous species. Moved to Platimeliphyllum durhamensis in (2022) |
| Goweria | Gen et 2 Sp. nov | valid | Wolfe | Eocene | | USA Oregon | A icacinaceous genus. The type species is "Benzoin" dilleri (1900). The genus also includes G. linearis. |
| Hyperbaena dilleri | Comb nov | Jr synonym | (Knowlton) Wolfe | Eocene | | USA Oregon | A moon seed relative. Moved from "Benzoin" dilleri (1900). Moved to Calkinsia dilleri (1977) |
| Hypserpa cashmanensis | Gen et sp nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Upper Ravenian" | Puget Group "below Cashman bed" Loc 9731 | USA Washington | A Hypserpa species moon seed. |
| Hypserpa cashmanensis | Sp nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Upper Ravenian" | Puget Group "below Cashman bed" Loc 9731 | USA Washington | A Hypserpa species moon seed. |
| Hypserpa franklinensis | Sp nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Lower Fultonian" | Puget Group "Above Franklin bed 12" Loc 9678 | USA Washington | A Hypserpa species moon seed. |
| Macaranga pugetensis | Sp. nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Upper Ravenian" | Puget Group "below Cashman bed" Loc 9731 | USA Washington | A Macaranga species euphorbe. |
| Macclintockia pugetensis | Sp nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Upper Kummerian" | Puget Group Renton Formation Loc 9688 | USA Washington | A Macclintockia species. |
| Pterocarya pugetensis | Sp. nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Upper Ravenian" | Puget Group "below Kummer sandstone bed" Loc 9837 | USA Washington | A wingnut species. |
| "Pugetia" | Gen et sp nov | homonym | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Upper Fultonian" | Puget Group "Green River canyon, above vein 12" Loc 1963 | USA Washington | A possible hickory relative. The type species is "P". longifolia Junior homonym of Pugetia Kylin, 1925 |
| Rhamnites cashmanensis | Sp nov | jr synonym | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Upper Ravenian" | Puget Group "below Cashman bed" Loc 9731 | USA Washington | identified as a Rhamnites buckthorn foliage. Moved to Parashorea cashmanensis (1977) |
| Rhamnites franklinensis | Sp nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Lower Fultonian" | Puget Group "Above Franklin bed 12" Loc 9678 | USA Washington | A Rhamnites buckthorn foliage. |
| Ternstroemites ravenensis | Sp nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Lower Ravenian" | Puget Group "Between Ravensdale beds 3 & 4" Loc 9694 | USA Washington | A Ternstroemites theaceous foliage. |
| Viburnum pugetensis | Sp nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Lower Fultonian" | Puget Group "Above Franklin bed 12" Loc 9678 | USA Washington | A Viburnum species. |
| Vinea | Gen et sp nov | valid | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Upper Fultonian" | Puget Group "Below Durham bed 1" Loc 9832 | USA Washington | A walnut relative. Also noted from the Roslyn Formation. |
| Willisia | Gen et sp nov | Jr homonym | Wolfe | Late Eocene "Upper Fultonian" | Puget Group "Below Durham bed 1" Loc 9832 | USA Washington | A linden relative. Jr homonym of Willisia Warming 1901. Renamed Plafkeria in (1977) The type species is "W." rentonensis |

## Arthropods
### Insects

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Eriocampa tulameenensis | sp nov | Valid | Rice | Early Eocene | Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | A Tenthredinidae sawfly | Eriocampa tulameenensis |
| Pseudosiobla campbelli | sp nov | Valid | Rice | Early Eocene | Horsefly Shales | Canada British Columbia | A Tenthredinidae sawfly | Pseudosiobla campbelli |

## Conodonts

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Location | Notes | Images |
| Neognathodus | gen nov | Valid taxon | David L. Dunn | Pennsylvanian | Brazil  China  Egypt  Mexico | | |

## Archosauriformes
### Dinosaurs

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Aralosaurus tuberiferus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Rozhdestvensky | Santonian | Bostobe Svita | Kazakhstan | A hadrosaur | |
| Procheneosaurus convincens | Sp. nov. | Valid | Rozhdestvensky | Santonian | Dabrazinskaya Svita | Kazakhstan | A species of Procheneosaurus, later given the genus name Kazaklambia | |

### Birds

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Country | Notes |
| Aethia rossmoori | Sp. nov. | Valid | Howard | Late Miocene | | USA ( California) | An Alcidae. |
| Alauda jordanica | Sp. nov. | Valid | Tchernov | Middle Pleistocene | Ubeidiya Formation | Israel | An Alaudidae. |
| Alcodes | Gen et sp nov. | Valid | Howard | Late Miocene? | | USA | An Alcidae, type species A. ulnulus |
| Bathornis fricki | Sp. nov. | Valid | Cracraft | Early Miocene | | USA ( Wyoming) | A Bathornithid |
| Buteo circoides | Sp. nov. | Valid | Kurochkin | Middle Oligocene | Tatal-Gol | Mongolia | An Accipitridae. |
| Coturnicops avita | Sp. nov. | Valid | Feduccia | Late Pliocene | Glenns Ferry Formation | USA ( Idaho) | A Rallidae. |
| Cygnavus formosus | Sp. nov. | Valid | Kurochkin | Late Eocene | Zaysan Bassin | Kazakhstan | An Anatidae. |
| "Cygnopterus" lambrechti | Sp. nov. | valid | Kurochkin | Middle Oligocene | Kustovskaya | Kazakhstan | Phoenicopteriformes Incertae Sedis |
| Fulica stekelesi | Sp. nov. | Valid | Tchernov | Middle Pleistocene | Ubeidiya Formation | Israel | A Rallidae. |
| Fulmarus hammeri | Sp. nov. | Valid | Howard | Late Miocene | | USA ( California) | A Procellariidae. |
| Gobihierax | Gen et Sp. nov. | Valid | Kurochkin | Middle Oligocene | Tatal-Gol | Mongolia | An Accipitridae, Type sp G. edax |
| Guguschia nailiae | Sp. nov. | Invalid | Aslanova & Burchak-Abramovich | Middle Oligocene | Maykopian Clay | Azerbaijan | A Swan, Anatidae. |
| Laterallus insignis | Sp. nov. | Valid | Feduccia | Late Pliocene | Rexroad Formation | USA ( Kansas) | A Rallidae. |
| Limicorallus | Gen. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Kurochkin | Middle Oligocene-Miocene | Myn-Say Gorge | Kazakhstan | A Phalacrocoracidae, type species L. saiensis. |
| Megaegotheles | Gen. et sp. nov. | Jr synonym | Scarlett | Pleistocene-modern | | New Zealand | An Aegothelidae, type sp M. novaezealandiae, jr syn of Aegotheles. |
| Megagallinula | Gen. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Kurochkin | Middle Oligocene | Kur-Say Gorge | Kazakhstan | A Rallidae. type sp. M. harundinea |
| Melanocorypha gracilis | Sp. nov. | Valid | Tchernov | Middle Pleistocene | Ubeidiya Formation | Israel | An Alaudidae. |
| Palaeorallus alienus | Sp. nov. | nomen dubium | Kurochkin | Middle Oligocene | Tatal-Gol | Mongolia | A possible Rallidae, |
| Paracrax gigantea | Sp. nov. | Valid | Cracraft | Late Oligocene | Brule Formation | USA ( South Dakota) | A Bathornithidae |
| Paracrax wetmorei | Sp. nov. | Valid | Cracraft | Late Oligocene | Brule Formation | USA ( South Dakota) | A Bathornithidae |
| Petronia brevirostris | Sp. nov. | Valid | Tchernov | Middle Pleistocene | Ubeidiya Formation | Israel | A Passeridae. |
| Puffinus calhouni | Sp. nov. | Valid | Howard | Late Miocene | | USA ( California) | A Procellariidae. |
| Tutor dementievi | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Kurochkin | Middle Oligocene | Tatal-Gol | Mongolia | An Accipitridae, jr syn of Venerator dementievi |

## Sauropterygians
### Plesiosaurs

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
| Ceraunosaurus | Gen et sp nov | jr synonym | Thurmond | Late Cretaceous | | | junior synonym of Trinacromerum | |

## Synapsids
### Mammaliformes

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
| Megazostrodon | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Crompton & Jenkins | Early Jurassic | Elliot Formation | Lesotho | A megazostrodontid morganucodont | Megazostrodon |