# 1958 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 1958.

## Arthropods
### Insects

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

## Archosauromorphs
### Dinosaurs

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes |
| Chingkankousaurus fragilis | Gen et sp nov | Nomen dubium | Yang | Campanian | Jingangkou Formation | China | A tyrannosauroid |
| Tanius chingkankouensis | Sp. nov. | Valid? | Yang | Campanian | Jingangkou Formation | China | A species of Tanius |
| Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Yang | Campanian | Jingangkou Formation | China | A hadrosaurid |

### Birds
#### Newly named birds

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Anas apscheronica | Sp. nov. | valid | Burchak-Abramovisch | Late Pliocene | Apscherion | Azerbaijan | An Anatidae. |
| Bartramia umatilla | Sp. nov. | valid | Brodkorb | Middle Pliocene | | USA  Oregon | A Scolopacidae. |
| Callipepla shotwelli | Sp. nov. | valid | Brodkorb | Middle Pliocene | | USA  Oregon | An Odontophoridae. |
| Cygnus hibbardi | Sp. nov. | valid | Brodkorb | Early Pleistocene | Irvingtonian, Hagerman Lake Beds | USA  Idaho | An Anatidae. |
| Morus humeralis | Sp. nov. | valid | Miller Bowman | Late Pliocene | | USA  California | A Sulidae. |
| Ornimegalonyx | Gen. et Sp. nov. | valid | Arredondo | Late Pleistocene | | Cuba | A Strigidae, the types species of the new genus is Ornimegalonyx oteroi. |
| Pardirallus lacustris | Sp. nov. | valid | (Brodkorb) | Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene | Hagerman and Rexroad Local Fauna | USA  Idaho | A Rallidae, described as Porzana lacustris but transferred by Storrs L. Olson in 1977 to Pardirallus Bonaparte, 1856. |
| Phalacrocorax macer | Sp. nov. | valid | Brodkorb | Late Pliocene | Irvingtonian, Glenns Ferry Formation, Hagerman Lake Beds | USA  Idaho | A Phalacrocoracidae. |
| Podiceps subparvus | Sp. nov. | valid | (Miller Bowman) | Middle Pliocene | Blancan, San Diego Formation | USA  California | A Podicipedidae, described as Colymbus subparvus. |
| Promilio epileus | Sp. nov. | valid | Wetmore | Early Miocene | Thomas Farm Beds | USA  Florida | An Accipitridae, the type species of the genus is Proictinia effera Wetmore, 1923. |
| Promilio brodkorbi | Sp. nov. | valid | Wetmore | Early Miocene | Thomas Farm Beds | USA  Florida | An Accipitridae, the type species of the genus is Proictinia effera Wetmore, 1923. |
| Ptychoramphus tenuis | Sp. nov. | valid | Miller Bowman | Middle Pliocene | Blancan, San Diego Formation | USA  California | An Alcidae. |
| Querandiornis | Gen. et Sp. nov. | valid | Rusconi | Late Pliocene | Ensenada Formation | Argentina | A Furnariidae, Dendrocolaptinae, The type species is Querandiornis romani, described in the Tinamiidae, transferred by Tonni & Tambussi, 1986 to Aves Incertae Sedis, transferred by Agnolin, 2016 to Dendrocolaptinae |
| Sula pohli | Sp. nov. | valid | Howard | Late Miocene | | USA  California | A Sulidae. |
| Troglodytes gracilis | Sp. nov. | valid? | Brunner | Late Pleistocene | | Germany | A Troglodytidae, better seen as a Passeriformes Incertae Sedis. |

## Synapsids
### Non-mammalian

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Basicranodon | Junior synonym | Vaughn | Early Permian | | US | A junior synonym of the varanopid Mycterosaurus. | |
| Diarthrognathus | Valid | Crompton | Early Jurassic | Elliot Formation | South Africa | A member of Trithelodontidae. | |

## Other Animals

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Charnia | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Ford | Ediacaran | Maplewell Group | United Kingdom | The type species is C. masoni. |
| Charniodiscus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Ford | Ediacaran | Maplewell Group | United Kingdom | The type species is C. concentricus. |
| Parvancorina | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Glaessner | Ediacaran | | Australia | The type species is P. minchami. |
| Spriggina | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Glaessner | Ediacaran | | Australia | The type species is S. floundersi. |