# 1985 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 1985.

## Molluscs
### Bivalves

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Oryzoconcha | gen et sp nov | not valid | He & Pei | Early Cambrian | Henan province | China | synonym of Pojetaia runnegari | |
| Tuarangia | Ord, Supfam, fam, gen et sp nov | valid | MacKinnon | late Middle Cambrian | Tasman Formation | New Zealand | one of four accepted Cambrian bivalves | |

## Arthropods
### Insects

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Azteca alpha | Sp nov | valid | Poinar | Burdigalian | Dominican Amber | Dominican Republic | A dolichoderine ant | Azteca alpha |
| Azteca eumeces | Sp nov | valid | Poinar | Burdigalian | Dominican Amber | Dominican Republic | A dolichoderine ant | |
| Dominickus | gen et sp. nov | valid | Tindale | Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA | A castniid butterfly-moth, monotypic | |

## Echinoderms

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Castericystis | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Ubaghs & Robison | Middle Cambrian | Marjum Formation | United States | A solutan. | Castericystis |
| Marjumicystis | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Ubaghs & Robison | Middle Cambrian | Marjum Formation | United States | An eocrinoid. | |

## Fish
### Newly named Cartilaginous fish

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
| Lissodus wirksworthensis | Sp nov | jr synonym | Duffin | Early Carboniferous | Eyam Limestone | United Kingdom | A hybodont, moved to Reesodus wirksworthensis in 2013 | |

## Archosauromorphs

* Psittacosaurus gastroliths documented.

### Newly named pseudosuchians

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Postosuchus | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Chatterjee | Carnian–Norian | Cooper Canyon Formation Chinle Formation Newark Supergroup | United States | A rauisuchid. | |

### Newly named pterosaurs

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Anhanguera | Gen et sp | Valid | Campos & Kellner | Aptian | Crato Formation | Brazil | A pterodactyloid belonging to Anhangueridae. | Anhanguera santanae |
| "Palaeolimnornis" | Gen et sp nov | Nomen nudum | Jurcsák & Kessler | Early Cretaceous | Bauxite mine | Romania | An informal name applied to Palaeocursornis. An azhdarchoid pterosaur. | |

### Newly named non-avian dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.
| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Location | Notes | Images |
| Abelisaurus | Valid taxon | Jose Bonaparte | Novas | Argentina | A short-handed Flesh-eating Dinosaur. | Abelisaurus |
| "Aliwalia" | Junior synonym. | Peter Galton | | | Junior subjective synonym of Eucnemosaurus. | |
| Blikanasaurus | Valid taxon | Peter Galton | van Heerden | South Africa | | |
| Camelotia | Valid taxon | Peter Galton | | UK | A British Melanorosaur. | Camelotia |
| Carnotaurus | Valid taxon | Jose Bonaparte | | Argentina | An Abelisaurid. The Horned Cheetah of the Cretaceous. | Carnotaurus |
| "Dachungosaurus" | Nomen nudum. | Zhao X. (as Chao S.) | | | | |
| "Dystylosaurus" | Junior synonym. | James A. Jensen | | | Junior synonym of Supersaurus. | |
| Gasosaurus | Valid taxon | Dong Zhiming | | China | | Gasosaurus |
| "Mifunesaurus" | Nomen nudum | Hisa | | Japan | |
| "Moshisaurus" | Nomen nudum. | Hisa | | | | |
| "Oshanosaurus" | Nomen nudum. | Zhao X. (as Chao S.) | | | | |
| "Sanchusaurus" | Nomen nudum | Hisa | | | | |
| Supersaurus | Valid taxon | James A. Jensen | | Portugal  USA ( Colorado) | | Supersaurus |
| "Ultrasaurus" | Preoccupied name. | James A. Jensen | | | Preoccupied by Kim H. M., 1983 and renamed Ultrasauros. | |
| "Xuanhuasaurus" | Nomen nudum. | Zhao X. (as Chao S.) | | | Later renamed Xuanhuaceratops in 2006 | |

### Literature on fossil birds

* Storrs Olson: the fossil record of birds

### Newly named birds

| Name | Status | Novelty | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Aegialornis szarskii | Valid | Sp. nov. | Dieter S. Peters | Middle Eocene | Messel pit, MP 11 | Germany | An Aegialornithidae |
| Amphipelargus dzabghanensis | Valid | Sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Late Miocene-Pliocene | Chono-Harayah | Mongolia | A Gruiformes, Eogruidae |
| Anas molesta | Valid | Sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Late Miocene | Hyargas Nuur 2 | Mongolia | An Anatidae, transferred to the genus Aythya by Nikita V. Zelenkov |
| Anas schneideri | Valid | Sp. nov. | Steven D. Emslie | Late Pleistocene | | USA | An Anatidae. |
| Anser tchikoicus | Valid | Sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Miocene-Pliocene | | Mongolia | An Anatidae. |
| Anthus seductus | Valid | Sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Early Pliocene | | Mongolia | A Motacillidae. |
| Avisaurus archibaldi | Valid | Gen et Sp. nov. | Michael K. Brett-Surman Gregory S. Paul | Maastrichtian | Hell Creek Formation | USA ( Montana and North Dakota) | An Enantiornithes, Avisauridae Brett-Surman & Paul, 1985 this is the type species of the new genus. |
| Aythya magna | Valid | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Early Pliocene | Hyargas Nuur Formation | Mongolia | An Anatidae. |
| Aythya shihuibas | Valid | Sp. nov. | Hou Lianhai | Late Miocene | | China | An Anatidae, Nikita V. Zelenkov, 2012 transferred the species to his genus Protomelanitta Zelenkov, 2011. |
| Bonibernicla ponderosa | Valid | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Late Miocene | Hyargas Nuur Formation | Mongolia  USA | An Anatidae, this is the type species of the new genus. |
| Brasilogyps faustoi | Valid | Gen et Sp nov. | Herculano M. F. de Alvarenga | Early Oligocene | Taubate | Brazil | A Cathartidae, this is the type species of the new genus. |
| Centropus colossus | Valid | Sp. nov. | Robert F. Baird | Quaternary | Green Waterhole Cave | Australia | A Cuculiformes, Centropodidae. |
| Colius hendeyi | Valid | Sp. nov. | Patricia Vickers Rich Philippa J. Haarhoff | Early Pliocene | Varswater Formation | South Africa | A Coliidae. |
| Corvus solitus | Valid | Sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Miocene-Late Pliocene | | Mongolia | A Corvidae. |
| Diangallus mious | Valid | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Hou Lianhai | Late Miocene | | China | A Phasianidae, this is the type species of the new genus. |
| Egretta subfluvia | Valid | Sp. nov. | Jonathan J. Becker | Late Miocene | Early Hemphillian | USA:  Florida | An Ardeidae. |
| Eudromia olsoni | Valid | Nom. nov. | Claudia P. Tambussi Eduardo P. Tonni | Late Pliocene | Monte Hermoso Formation | Argentina | A Tinamidae, new name for the preoccupied Tinamisornis intermedius Dabbene et Lillo, 1913 = Eudromia elegans intermedia (Dabbene et Lillo, 1913). |
| Geronticus apelex | Valid | Sp. nov. | Storrs L. Olson | Early Pliocene | Varswater Formation | South Africa | A Threskiornithidae. |
| Grus afghana | Valid | Sp. nov. | Cécile Mourer-Chauviré Jean-Christophe Balouet Yves Jehenne Émile Heintz | Late Miocene | MN 12 | Afghanistan | A Gruidae. |
| Haliaeetus fortis | Valid | Sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Late Miocene | MN 13, Hyargas-Nuur 2 | Mongolia | An Accipitridae. |
| Heliadornis ashbyi | Valid | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Storrs L. Olson | Middle Miocene | Langhian, Calvert Formation | USA Belgium Antwerp | A Phaethontidae, this is the type species of the new genus. |
| Limosa lacrimosa | Valid | Sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Miocene-Late Pliocene | | Mongolia | A Scolopacidae. |
| “Lophura” inferna | Not Valid | Sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Miocene | Shaamar | Mongolia | A Phasianidae, not a Lophura, the holotype is not diagnostic to genus. |
| Melopyrrha latirostris | Valid | Sp. nov. | David W. Steadman Gary S. Morgan | Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene | Cayman Brac cave deposits | Cayman Islands | A Thraupidae. |
| Oceanites zaloscarthmus | Valid | Sp. nov. | Storrs L. Olson | Early Pliocene | Varswater Formation | South Africa | An Oceanitidae. |
| Oenanthe infima | Valid | Sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Miocene-Late Pliocene | Sharga | Mongolia | A Muscicapidae. |
| Orthonyx hypsilophus | Valid | Sp. nov. | Robert F. Baird | Quaternary | Green Waterhole Cave | Australia | An Orthonychidae. |
| Pachyptila salax | Valid | Sp. nov. | Storrs L. Olson | Early Pliocene | Varswater Formation | South Africa | A Procellariidae. |
| Paleopsilopterus itaboraiensis | Valid | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Herculano M. F. de Alvarenga | Itaboraian | | Brazil | A Gruiformes, Phorusrhacidae Ameghino, 1889, Psilopterinae Mathilde Dolgopol de Sáez, 1927, this is the type species of the new genus. |
| Palaeotodus escampsiensis | Valid | Sp. nov. | Cécile Mourer-Chauviré | Late Eocene | Phosphorites du Quercy, Escamps | France | A Todidae. |
| Palaeotodus itardiensis | Valid | Sp. nov. | Cécile Mourer-Chauviré | Oligocene | Phosphorites du Quercy | France | A Todidae. |
| Pandion lovensis | Valid | Sp. nov. | Jonathan J. Becker | Latest Clarendonian | | USA | A Pandionidae. |
| Pelecanoides cymatotrypetes | Valid | Sp. nov. | Storrs L. Olson | Early Pliocene | Varswater Formation | South Africa | A Pelecanoididae. |
| Perdix margaritae | Valid | Sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Miocene-Late Pliocene | Chikoi River | Soviet Union:  Russia | A Phasianidae. |
| Phalaropus eleonorae | Valid | Sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Miocene-Late Pliocene | | Mongolia | A Phalaropidae. |
| Phasianus lufengia | Valid | Sp. nov. | Hou Lianhai | Late Miocene | Shihuiba | China | A Phasianidae. |
| Podiceps solidus | Valid | Sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Late Miocene; Early Pliocene | Hyargas-Nuur 2: MN 13; Chono-Harayah 1 and 2 Zogsoo-Harhan 1 and 4 | Mongolia | A Podicipedidae. |
| Pseudodontornis tenuirostris | Valid ? | Sp. nov. | Colin J. O. Harrison | Late Paleocene | Oldhaven Beds | UK:  England | A Pseudontornithidae, possibly a synonymym of Pseudodontornis longidentata |
| Siphonorhis daiquiri | Valid | Sp. nov. | Storrs L. Olson | Quaternary, probably Holocene | Cave deposits | Cuba | A Caprimulgidae, may still be living. |
| Syrmaticus kozlovae | Valid | Sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Miocene-Late Pliocene | Khirgis Nur Formation | Mongolia | A Phasianidae. |
| Syrrhaptes kashini | Valid | Sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Miocene-Late Pliocene | | Mongolia | A Pteroclidae. |
| Tadorna petrina | Valid | Sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Late Pliocene | | Mongolia | An Anatidae. |
| Yunnanus gaoyuansis | Valid | Gen et Sp nov. | Hou Lianhai | Late Miocene | Shihuiba | China | A Passeriformes, family Incertae Sedis, this is the type species of the new genus. |

## Lepidosauromorphs
### Newly named pleosiosaurs

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Yuzhoupliosaurus | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Zhang | Middle Jurassic | | China | A rhomaleosauride | |

## Synapsids
### Mammals

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Ictonyx bolti | Sp. nov | Jr. synonym | Cooke | Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene | Bolt's Farm | South Africa | A mustelid, reassigned to the genus Propoecilogale in 1987. | |