# 1937 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 1937.

## Plants
### Ferns and fern allies

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
| Equisetum alexanderi | Sp nov | | Brown | Miocene Langhian | Latah Formation | USA Washington | | A horsetail species. | |

### Flowering plants
#### Magnoliids

| Name | Novelty | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes |
| Machilus americana | Sp nov | Brown | Miocene Langhian | Latah Formation | USA Washington | | A Machilus species. |
| Machilus asiminoides | Sp nov | Brown | Miocene Langhian | Latah Formation | USA Washington | | A Machilus species. |
| Magnolia latahensis | Comb nov | (Berry) Brown | Miocene Langhian | Latah Formation | USA Washington | synonymy Magnolia sp. of Knowlton (1926) Magnolia californica auct. non Lesquereux, nec Berry, 1929 | A Magnolia species. Moved from Apocynophyllum latahense (1929) |

#### Monocots

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
| Smilax magna | Syn nov | | Chaney | Miocene | Eagle Creek Formation | USA Oregon | Aristolochia whitebirdensis (1932) Smilax lamarensis non Knowlton nec Berry 1929 | A greenbriar species. | |

#### Basal Eudicots and unplaced core Eudicots

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
| Tetracera spokanensis | Sp nov | jr synonym | Brown | Miocene Langhian | Latah Formation | USA Washington | | First described as a Tetracera species. Moved to Castanopsis spokanensis (1959) | |
| Vitis washingtonensis | Comb nov | | (Knowlton) Brown | Miocene Langhian | Latah Formation | USA Washington | synonymy Acer merriami Auct non. Knowlton. nec Knowlton, (1926) Acer sp. Berry, (1929) Cercis idahoensis p.p. Berry, (1930) Cercis idahoensis p.p. Berry, (1934) Menispermites latahensis Berry, (1929) Populus lindgreni Auct non. Knowlton. nec Knowlton, (1926) Populus lindgreni Auct non. Knowlton. nec Berry, (1934) | A grape species Moved from Populus washingtonensis (1926) | Vitis washingtonensis |

#### Superasterids - basal

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Philadelphus pardeei | Comb nov | | (Knowlton) Brown | Miocene Langhian | Latah Formation | USA Washington | Phyllites peculiaris Knowlton (1926) | A Philadelphus species. Moved from Phyllites pardeei (1926) | Philadelphus pardeei |
| Vaccinium sophoroides | Comb nov | | (Knowlton) Brown | Miocene Langhian | Latah Formation | USA Washington | synonymy Arctostaphylos knowltoni Berry (1929) Cassia sophoroides (Knowlton) Berry (1929) p.p. Diospyros princetonia non Cockerell nec Berry (1929) Salix perplexa Knowlton (1926) p.p. | A Vaccinium species. Moved from Phyllites sophoroides (1926) | Vaccinium sophoroides |

#### Superasterids

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
| Aralia republicensis | Nom nov. | jr synonym | Brown | Eocene Ypresian | Okanagan Highlands Klondike Mountain Formation | USA Washington | Aralia whitneyi non Lesquereux nec Berry, (1929) Platanus appendiculata non Lesquereux nec Berry, (1929) | First named as an Aralia species. A new name for Republic flora fossils A jr synonym of Macginitiea gracilis (1987) | Macginitiea gracilis |
| Arbutus idahoensis | Comb nov | | (Knowlton) Brown | Miocene | Payette Formation | USA Idaho | synonymy Arbutus traini MacGinitie (1933) Arbutus sp. of Chaney (1925) p.p. Betula aequalis non Lesquereux nec Knowlton (1898) Celastrus lacoei non Lesquereux nec Berry (1929) Laurus princeps non Heer nec Berry (1929) Myrica lanceolata Knowlton (1898) p.p. | An Arbutus species. Moved from Myrica? idahoensis (1898) | |
| Hydrangea fraxinifolia | Comb nov | | (Berry) Brown | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | synonymy Magnolia sp. of Knowlton (1926) Fraxinus heerii Lesquereux, 1878 Fraxinus praedicta auct. non Heer, nec Lesquereux, 1878 Juglans affinis Kirchner, 1898 Hydrangea florissantia Cockerell, 1908 | A Hydrangea species. Moved from Celastrus fraxinifolius (1883) | |
| Mahonia reticulata | Comb nov | | (MacGinitie) Brown | Miocene | Strawberry Volcanics "Blue Mountains flora" | USA Oregon | synonymy Odostemon hollicki auct. non Dorf. nec. MacGinitie (1933) Mahonia hollicki (Dorf) Arnold (1936) | An Oregon grape species. Moved from Clematis reticulata (1933) | |
| Viburnum fernquisti | Comb nov | | (Berry) Brown | Miocene Langhian | Latah Formation | USA Washington | | A viburnum species. Moved from Ribes fernquisti (1929) | |
| Viburnum lantanafolium | Syn nov | | Berry | Miocene Langhian | Latah Formation | USA Washington | Aesculus hesperia Berry (1929) | A viburnum species. One species synonymized in. | |

#### Superrosids

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
| Acer bendirei | Syn nov | | Lesquereux | Miocene | Mascall Formation | USA Oregon | synonymy Acer dimorphum Lesquereux (1888) Acer medianum Knowlton (1902) Acer minor Knowlton (1902) p.p. Acer oregonianum Knowlton (1902) p.p. Acer osmonti Lesquereux (1888) p.p. non Kirchner nec Berry (1934) Cf. Quercus pseudolyrata non Lesquereux nec Knowlton (1926) | A maple species. A number of occurrences synonymized in. | |
| Acer osmonti | Syn nov | | Knowlton | Eocene | John Day Formation "Bridge Creek Flora" | USA Oregon | synonymy Acer chaneyi Knowlton (1926) Acer florissanti non Kirchner nec Berry (1934) Acer gigas Knowlton (1902) Cf. Quercus pseudolyrata non Lesquereux nec Knowlton (1926) Acer oregonianum auct. non Knowlton nec. Berry (1934) | A maple species. A number of occurrences synonymized in. | |
| Alnus carpinoides | Syn nov | | Lesquereux | Eocene | John Day Formation "Bridge Creek flora" | USA Oregon | Alnus prerhombifolia Berry (1929) Betula thor Knowlton 1926) | An alder species. Two species synonymized in. | Alnus relatus |
| Alnus relatus | Comb nov | | (Knowlton) Brown | Miocene Langhian | Latah Formation | USA Washington | synonymy Betula elliptica auct. non Saporta nec Lesquereux (1883) Betula heteromorpha auct. non Knowlton nec. Brooks (1935) Prunus rustii auct. non Knowlton nec. Berry (1929) | An alder species. Moved from Phyllites relatus (1926) | Alnus relatus |
| Betula fairii | Comb nov | | Brown | Miocene Langhian | Latah Formation | USA Washington | synonymy Betula bryani Knowlton 1926 Betula heteromorpha Knowlton 1926 p.p. Betula largei Knowlton 1926 | A birch species. Three species synonymized in | Betula fairii |
| Betula vera | Sp nov | | Brown | Miocene Langhian | Latah Formation | USA Washington | | A birch species. | |
| Carya simulata | Comb nov | | (Knowlton) Brown | Miocene | Mascall Formation | USA Oregon | | A hickory species. Moved from Aesculus simulata (1902) | |
| Cotinus fraterna | Syn nov | | (Lesquereux) Cockerell | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | Andromeda delicatula Lesquereux (1888) | A cotton-easter species. One species synonymized in. | |
| Dilodendron boreale | Sp nov | | Brown | Miocene Langhian | Latah Formation | USA Washington | | A sapindaceous species. | |
| Dipteronia insignis | Comb nov | Jr synonym | (Lesquereux) Brown | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | synonymy Comptonia acutiloba (Lesquereux) Cockerell (1906) Rhus subrhomboidalis Lesquereux (1883) | A sapindaceous species. Moved from Comptonia insignis (1906) First named Myrica insignis (1874) Moved to Bohlenia insignis (1987) | |
| Fagus washoensis | Syn nov | | LaMotte | Miocene | Cedarville Formation | USA Nevada | Amygdalus alexanderi Berry (1929) | A beech species. One species synonymized in. | |
| Paliurus florissanti | Syn nov | | Lesquereux | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | Acalypha myricina Cockerell (1909) | A rhamnaceous species. Acalypha myricina (1909) synonymized in | |
| Pterocarya mixta | Comb nov | | (Knowlton) Brown | Miocene | Mascall Formation | USA Oregon | | A wingnut species. Moved from Salix mixta (1902) | |
| Salix spokanensis | Comb et syn nov | | (Berry) Brown | Miocene Langhian | Latah Formation | USA Washington | Vaccinium spokanense (1929) | A willow species. Moved from Rhamnus spokanensis (1929) | Salix spokanensis |
| Zelkova oregoniana | Comb nov | | (Knowlton) Brown | Miocene Langhian | Latah Formation | USA Washington | synonymy Fagopsis longifolia auct. non (Lesquereux) Hollick nec. Berry (1929) Ulmus fernquisti Knowlton (1926) | A Zelkova species. Moved from Myrica oregoniana (1902) | |

#### Angiosperms - other

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
| Carpites boraginoides | Comb nov | valid? | Knowlton | Miocene Langhian | Latah Formation Coeur d'Alene Florule | Carpolithus hibiscoides Brown (1935) | USA Idaho | A fruit or seed of uncertain affinity One species synonymized in Suggested to possibly be boraginaceous or malvaceous | Carpites boraginoides |

## Arthropods
### Insects

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Protrogosita | Gen et sp nov | valid | Piton & Théobald | Thanetian | Menat Formation | France | A Trogossitid bark gnawing beetle | Protrogosita distincta |

## Vertebrates
### Dinosaurs

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes |
| "Bactrosaurus prynadai" | | Nomen nudum | Riabinin | Santonian | Dabrazinskaya Svita | Kazakhstan | A species of Bactrosaurus, formally described in 1939 |
| "Jaxartosaurus" | | Nomen nudum | Riabinin | Santonian | Dabrazinskaya Svita | Kazakhstan | A hadrosaurid, formally described in 1939 |
| Parksosaurus | Gen. nov. | Valid | Sternberg | Maastrichtian | Horseshoe Canyon Formation | Canada | A new genus name for Thescelosaurus warreni |

### Synapsids

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Location | Notes | Images |
| Cyonosaurus | Valid | Olson | 255 Millions of years ago | South Africa | A Gorgonopsian. | Cyonosaurus |
| Micrictodon | Junior Synonym | | | | Junior Synonym of Thrinaxodon. | |
| Moschoides | Valid | | | | | |
| Myctosuchus | Valid | | | | | |
| Newtonella | Valid | | | | | |
| Nitosaurus | Valid | | | | | |
| Procynosuchus | Valid | Broom | 255 Millions of years ago | Germany  Russia  South Africa  Tanzania | One of the Earliest-Known Cynodonts. | Procynosuchus |
| Sinokannemeyeria | Valid | Young | 245 Millions of years ago | China | A Chinese Kannemeyerid Dicynodont. | Sinokannemeyeria |

## Popular culture
### Amusement parks and attractions

* August 28th: The Calgary Zoo's Prehistoric Park opened. Paleontologist Darren Tanke has described Prehistoric Park as "an extensive treed park and pathways containing numerous life-sized concrete dinosaurs and other prehistoric life". It also had "two long, walkthrough display buildings containing a Corythosaurus skeleton and individual dinosaur bones", as well as exhibits of paleozoic invertebrates and prehistoric plants. It became a popular attraction among visitors to the zoo.

### Literature

* In 1937, Morant imagined a feathered dinosaur-like animal that lived during the Triassic and glided about on four wings. This portrayal reflected contemporary scientific speculations attempting to reconstruct the hypothetical ancestor of birds. Fossils from China later revealed the existence of just this sort of animal.