# 1976 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 1976.

## Flora
### Cycads

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
| Eostangeria | Gen et Sp nov | valid | Barthel | Middle-Late Eocene | Geisel valley | Germany | An eostangerioid zamiaceous cycad. | |

## Arthropods
### Newly named crustaceans

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
| Chilenophoberus | Gen. et. sp. nov. | Valid | Chong & Förster | Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) | Cordillera de Domeyko | Chile | A stenochirid, type species is C. atacamensis | |

## Dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.

### Newly named dinosaurs

| Name | Status | Author | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Image |
| Alioramus | Valid taxon | Sergei Kurzanov | Maastrichtian | Nemegt Formation | Mongolia | A Tyrannosaur with five knobs on the snout. | Alioramus |
| Itemirus | Valid taxon | Sergei Kurzanov | Turonian | Bissekty Formation | Uzbekistan | A close relative of Velociraptor. | |
| Marshosaurus | Valid taxon | J. H. Madsen | Kimmeridgian | Morrison Formation | USA ( Colorado and Utah) | A North American Megalosaur Close Relative of the Piatnitzkysaurus. | Marshosaurus |
| Ouranosaurus | Valid taxon | Philippe Taquet | Aptian-Albian | Elrhaz Formation Koum Formation | Niger Cameroon | A sail-backed Iguanodont | Ouranosaurus |
| Zigongosaurus | Disputed. | Hou, Zhao, & Chao | Middle to Late Jurassic | Shaximiao Formation | China | Possible junior synonym of Mamenchisaurus. | |

### Newly named birds

| Name | Novelty | Status | Author | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Aegialornis broweri | Sp. nov. | Valid | Charles T. Collins | Eocene or Oligocene | Phosphorites du Quercy, MP 16-28; Geiseltal | France  DDR | An Apodiformes, Aegialornithidae Lydekker, 1891, transferred to the new genus Mesogiornis Mlíkovský, 2002. by Mlíkovský, 2002. |
| Aegialornis wetmorei | Sp. nov. | Valid | Charles T. Collins | Eocene or Oligocene | Phosphorites du Quercy, MP 16-28 | France | An Apodiformes, Aegialornithidae Lydekker, 1891, transferred to the new genus Mesogiornis Mlíkovský, 2002. by Mlíkovský, 2002., it is the type species of the new genus. |
| Alexornis antecedens | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Pierce Brodkorb | Late Cretaceous | Campanian | Mexico | An Enantiornithes Walker, 1981, Alexornithiformes Brodkorb, 1976, Alexornithidae Brodkorb, 1976. |
| Anas soporata | Sp. nov. | Valid | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Miocene-Pliocene | Chirgiz-Nur Formation | Mongolia | An Anatidae, transferred to the genus Dendrocygna by Jíří Mlíkovský & Petr Švec, 1986. |
| Anser liskunae | Sp. nov. | Valid | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Middle Pliocene | Zavhan | Mongolia | An Anatidae. |
| Apteribis glenos | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Storrs L. Olson Alexander Wetmore | Holocene | 25,000 Ybp | USA ( Hawaii) | A Threskiornithidae, this is the type species of the new genus. |
| Aythya spatiosa | Sp. nov. | Valid | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Early Pliocene | Hyargas Nuur Formation | Mongolia | An Anatidae. |
| Apus wetmorei | Sp. nov. | Valid | Peter Ballmann | Early Pliocene | Gargano, MN 14-15 | Italy | An Apodidae. |
| Butorides validipes | Sp. nov. | Valid | Kenneth E. Campbell, Jr. | Early Pleistocene | Late Blancan | USA ( Florida) | An Ardeidae. |
| Columba omnisanctorum | Sp. nov. | Valid | Peter Ballmann | Early Pliocene | Gargano, ppMN 14-15 | Italy | A Columbidae. |
| Eobucco brodkorbi | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Alan Feduccia Larry D. Martin | Middle Eocene | Bridger Formation | USA ( Wyoming) | Described as a Piciformes, Primobucconidae Feduccia et Martin, 1976, now placed in the Coliiformes, Sandcileidae Houde et Olson, 1992, it is the type species of the new genus. |
| Gigantibis incognita | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Colin J. O. Harrison Cyril A. Walker | Late Eocene | MP 17 | UK | Described as a Threskiornithidae, placed in Aves Incertae Sedis by Olson, 1981, this is the type species of the new genus. |
| Heterochen vicinus | Sp. nov. | Valid | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Late Miocene | Hyargas Nuur Formation | Mongolia | An Anatidae, transferred to the genus Anser by Jíří Mlíkovský & Petr Švec, 1986, and made the type species of his new genus Heteroanser by Nikita V. Zelenkov, 2012. |
| Howardia eous | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Colin J. O. Harrison Cyril A. Walker | Late Eocene | MP 17 | UK | An Anatidae, this is the type species of this new genus but it is preoccupied by Howardia Berlese et Leonardi, 1896. (Insecta: Hemiptera)so transferred to and becoming the type species of the new genus Palaeopapia Harrison et Walker, 1979 by Colin J. O. Harrison & Cyril A. Walker in 1979. |
| Jacana farrandi | Sp. nov. | Valid | Storrs L. Olson | Middle Pliocene | Alachua Formatie, Early Hemphillian | USA ( Florida) | A Jacanidae. |
| Macrodontopteryx oweni | Gen. nov et Sp. nov. | Valid | Colin J. O. Harrison Cyril A. Walker | Early Eocene | Ypresian, MP 8-9 | UK | A Pelagornithidae Fürbringer, 1888, this is the type species of the new genus. |
| Milvago alexandri | Sp. nov. | Valid | Storrs L. Olson | Late Pleistocene | Cave deposits | Haiti | A Falconidae. |
| Nyctanassa kobdoena | Sp. nov. | Valid | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Late Miocene | | Mongolia | An Ardeidae. |
| Ogygoptynx wetmorei | Gen. nov et Sp. nov. | Valid | Patricia Vickers Rich David J. Bohaska | Middle Paleocene | Tiffanian | USA ( Colorado) | A Strigiformes, Ogygoptyngidae Rich et Bohaska, 1981., this is the type species and type genus of the new genus and the new family. |
| Oreopholus orcesi | Sp. nov. | Valid | Kenneth E. Campbell, Jr. | Pleistocene | La Carolina | Ecuador | A Charadriidae. |
| Palaeotodus emryi | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Storrs L. Olson | Oligocene | Brule Formation | USA ( Wyoming) | A Todidae, this is the type species of the new genus. |
| Pandion homalopteron | Sp. nov. | Valid | Stuart L. Warter | Middle Miocene | Barstovian | USA ( California) | A Pandionidae. |
| Pelecanus aethiopicus | Sp. nov. | Valid | Colin J. O. Harrison Cyril A. Walker | Early Middle Pleistocene | Olduvai Series | Tanzania | A Pelecanidae. |
| Petropluvialis simplex | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Colin J. O. Harrison Cyril A. Walker | Late Eocene | MP 17 | UK | Described in the Burhinidae, placed in Aves Incertae Sedis by Mlíkovský 2002, according to Mayr et Smith, 2001 closely related to Palaeopapia eous (Harrison et Walker, 1976) and possibly synonymous with this species so they place it in the Anseriformes, this is the type species of the new genus. |
| Phalacrocorax reliquus | Sp. nov. | Valid | Evgeny N. Kurochkin | Pliocene | | Mongolia | A Phalacrocoracidae. |
| Phoenicopterus aethiopicus | Sp. nov. | Valid | Collin J. O. Harrison Cyril A. Walker | Early Miocene | Rusinga Island Maboko Island | Kenya | A Phoenicopteridae, transferred to the genus Leakeyornis Vickers-Rich & Walker, 1983 by Patricia Vickers Rich & Cyril A. Walker, it is the type species of the new genus. |
| Piscator tenuirostris | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Colin J. O. Harrison Cyril A. Walker | Late Eocene | MP 17 | UK | Described in the Phalacrocoracidae, placed in Aves Incertae Sedis by Mlíkovský 2002, this is the type species of the new genus. |
| Podilymbus wetmorei | Sp. nov. | Valid | Robert W. Storer | Late Pleistocene | Rancholabrean | USA ( Florida) | A Podicipedidae. |
| Praemancalla wetmorei | Sp. nov. | Valid | Hildegarde Howard | Late Miocene | Monterey Formatie | USA ( California) | An Alcidae, transferred to the genus Miomancalla N. A. Smith, 2011 by N. Adam Smith, 2011. |
| Primobucco olsoni | Sp. nov. | Valid | Alan Feduccia Larry D. Martin | Early Eocene; Middle Eocene | Green River Formation | UK  USA ( Wyoming) | Described as a Piciformes, Primobucconidae Feduccia et Martin, 1976, made the type species of the new genus Cyrilavis Martin, 2010 and placed in the stem Psittaciformes, Halcyornithidae Harrison et Walker, 1972. |
| Pseudodontornis longidentata | Sp. nov. | Valid | Colin J. O. Harrison Cyril A. Walker | Early Eocene | Ypresian, MP 8-9 | UK | A Pelagornithidae Fürbringer, 1888. |
| Strix? perpasta | Sp. nov. | Valid | Peter Ballmann | Early Pliocene | Gargano, MN 14-15 | Italy | A Strigidae, transferred to the genus Bubo by Mlíkovský 1998. |
| Tenuicrus magnum | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Colin J. O. Harrison Cyril A. Walker | Late Eocene | MP 17 | UK | A Phoenicopteriformes, Juncitarcidae, this is the type of this new genus but it is preoccupied by Tenuicrus Womersley, 1940. (Arachnida: Acarina)so transferred to and becoming the type species of the new genus Kashinia Harrison et Walker, 1979 by Colin J. O. Harrison & Cyril A. Walker in 1979. |
| Tetrao macropus | Sp. nov. | Valid | Dénes Jánossy | Late Pliocene | MN 18 | Hungary | A Phasianidae. |
| Thambetochen chauliodous | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Storrs L. Olson Alexander Wetmore | Holocene | Molokai, Oahu, Maui | USA ( Hawaii) | The first described moa-nalo, an Anatidae. |
| Uintornis marionae | Sp. nov. | Valid | Alan Feduccia Larry D. Martin | Middle Eocene | Bridger Formation | USA ( Wyoming) | Described in the Piciformes, Primobucconidae Feduccia & Martin, 1976, transferred to the Coliiformes, Sandcoleidae Houde et Olson, 1992 by Peter W. Houde & Storrs L. Olson, 1992. |
| Villetus grandis | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Colin J. O. Harrison Cyril A. Walker | Late Eocene | MP 14-16 | UK | Described in the Scolopacidae, placed in Aves Incertae Sedis by Mlíkovský 2002, this is the type species of the new genus. |
| Villetus waltoni | Sp. nov. | Valid | Colin J. O. Harrison Cyril A. Walker | Late Eocene | MP 14-16 | UK | Described in the Scolopacidae, placed in Aves Incertae Sedis by Mlíkovský 2002. |

## Plesiosaurs
### New taxa

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Location | Notes |
| Georgia | Valid | Otschev | Late Cretaveous | Russia | preoccupied by a genus of mollusk, renamed to Georgiasaurus in 1977 |

## Other Animals

| Name | Status | Author | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Image |
| Vendomia menneri | species moved to Dickinsonia by Ivantsov in 2007 | Keller | Ediacaran | | Russia | |