# 1954 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 1954.

## Plants
### Angiosperms

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Amyridoxylon | Gen et sp nov | | Kruse | Early Eocene | Green River Formation | USA Wyoming | A rutaceous petrified wood. The type species is A. ordinatum |
| Aspidospermoxylon | Gen et sp nov | | Kruse | Early Eocene | Green River Formation | USA Wyoming | An apocynaceous petrified wood. The type species is A. uniseriatum |
| Chandlera | Gen et sp nov | valid | Scott | Middle Eocene | Clarno Formation | USA Oregon | A moon seed genus. Type species C. lacunosa. |
| Edenoxylon | Gen et sp nov | | Kruse | Early Eocene | Green River Formation | USA Wyoming | An anacaridaceous petrified wood. The type species is E. parviareolatum |
| Fagara biseriata | Sp nov | | Kruse | Early Eocene | Green River Formation | USA Wyoming | A rutaceous petrified wood. |
| Fagara monophylloides | Sp nov | | Kruse | Early Eocene | Green River Formation | USA Wyoming | A rutaceous petrified wood. |
| Forchhammerioxylon | Gen et sp nov | | Kruse | Early Eocene | Green River Formation | USA Wyoming | A resedaceous petrified wood. The type species is F. scleroticum |
| Heveoxylon | Gen et sp nov | | Kruse | Early Eocene | Green River Formation | USA Wyoming | A euphorbiaceous petrified wood. The type species is H. microporosum |
| Juglans clarnensis | Sp nov | valid | Scott | Middle Eocene | Clarno Formation | USA Oregon | A walnut. |
| Mastixioidiocarpum oregonense | Gen et sp nov | valid | Scott | Middle Eocene | Clarno Formation | USA Oregon | A Tupelo relative |
| Myrica scalariformis | Sp nov | jr synonym | Kruse | Early Eocene | Green River Formation | USA Wyoming | An Eden Valley petrified wood. Moved to Morella scalariformis in 2021 |
| Odontocaryoidea | Gen et sp nov | valid | Scott | Middle Eocene | Clarno Formation | USA Oregon | A moon seed genus. Type species O. nodulosa. |
| Palaeonyssa spatulata | sp nov | jr synonym | Scott | Middle Eocene | Clarno Formation | USA | A Tupelo, moved to Nyssa spatulata in 1994 |
| Palaeophytocrene hancockii | Sp nov | valid | Scott | Middle Eocene | Clarno Formation | USA Oregon | An icacinaceous species. |
| Palaeophytocrene pseudopersica | Sp nov | valid | Scott | Middle Eocene | Clarno Formation | USA Oregon | An icacinaceous species. |
| Parthenocissus angustisulcata | Sp nov | valid | Scott | Middle Eocene | Clarno Formation | USA Oregon | A vitaceous species |
| Schinoxylon | Gen et sp nov | | Kruse | Early Eocene | Green River Formation | USA Wyoming | An anacaridaceous petrified wood. The type species is S. actinoporosum |
| Suriana inordinata | Sp nov | | Kruse | Early Eocene | Green River Formation | USA Wyoming | A surianaceous petrified wood. |
| Talauma multiperforata | Sp nov | | Kruse | Early Eocene | Green River Formation | USA Wyoming | An Eden Valley petrified wood. |
| Trochodendroxylon beckii | Sp nov | valid | Hergert & Phinney | Middle Eocene | Clarno Formation | USA Oregon | A Trochodendron wood species. Moved to Trochodendron beckii in 1982 |

## Arthropods
### Insects

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Parastylotermes frazieri | Sp. nov | valid | Snyder | Miocene | | USA | A Stylotermitid termite. | |

## Archosauromorphs
### Phytosaurs

| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Coburgosuchus | Valid taxon | Heller | | Late Triassic (Norian) | Burgsandstein Formation | Germany | A member of Pseudopalatinae. | |

### Dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.
| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Mamenchisaurus | Valid taxon | Yang Zhongjian (as Young C. C.) | Late Jurassic (late Callovian-early Oxfordian) | Shangshaximiao Formation | China | A mamenchisaurid. The type species is M. constructus. This animal had a neck of more than 10 meters. | Mamenchisaurus |
| Rebbachisaurus | Valid taxon | René Lavocat | Middle Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) | Kem Kem Beds | Morocco  Niger  Tunisia | A rebbachisaurid. | Rebbachisaurus |
| Therizinosaurus | Valid taxon | Evgeny Maleev | Late Cretaceous (late Campanian-early Maastrichtian) | Nemegt Formation | Mongolia | A therizinosaurid. | Therizinosaurus |

## Synapsids
### Pelycosaurs

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Location | Notes | Images |
| Phreatophasma | Valid | Ivan Yefremov | Middle Permian | Russia | A synapsid of uncertain affinities, perhaps a caseid. | |

### Eutherians
#### Cetaceans

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Leptodelphis | Valid | Kirpichnikov | Middle Miocene (Sarmatian) | | Russia | A member of Kentriodontidae. | |
| Sarmatodelphis | Valid | Kirpichnikov | Middle Miocene (Sarmatian) | | Moldova | A kentriodontid. | |