# 1989 in paleontology

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
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 1989.

## Plants
### Angiosperms
#### Nymphaeales

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
| Allenbya | Gen et sp nov | valid | Cevallos-Ferriz & Stockey | Eocene Ypresian | Eocene Okanagan Highlands Princeton Chert | Canada British Columbia | | A permineralized waterlily genus The type species is A. collinsonae Not to be confused with the odonate Allenbya from the Allenby Formation. | |

## Arthropods
### Insects
#### Dipterans

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Empis orapaensis | Sp nov | | Waters | Cretaceous Turonian | Orapa Formation | Botswana | A dance fly fly. | |
| Pseudoacarterus | Gen et sp nov | | Waters | Cretaceous Turonian | Orapa Formation | Botswana | A hybotine fly. The type species is P. orapaensis | |

#### Hemiptera

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Penaphis woollardi | Sp nov | | Jarzembowski | Cretaceous Hauterivian | Weald Clay | England | A gymnosperm feeding aphid | |

#### Hymenoptera

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Alloiomma | Gen et sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A dolichoderine ant The type species is A. changweiensis |
| Aphaenogaster lapidescens | Sp. nov | jr synonym | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A myrmicine ant Moved to Paraphaenogaster lapidescens (2014) |
| Aphaenogaster paludosa | Sp. nov | jr synonym | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A myrmicine ant genus Moved to Paraphaenogaster paludosa (2014) |
| Camponotus ambon | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A camponotine formicine ant. |
| Camponotus ampullosus | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A camponotine formicine ant. |
| Camponotus curviansatus | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A camponotine formicine ant. |
| Camponotus gracilis | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A camponotine formicine ant. |
| Camponotus longus | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A camponotine formicine ant. |
| Camponotus microthoracus | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A camponotine formicine ant. |
| Camponotus plenus | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A camponotine formicine ant. |
| Dolichoderus evolans | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A dolichoderine ant. |
| Dolichoderus lacinius | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A dolichoderine ant. |
| Elaphrodites | Gen et sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A dolichoderine ant The type species is E. scutulatus Also includes E. mutatus |
| Euponera minutansata | Sp. nov | jr synonym | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A ponerine ant. Moved to Pachycondyla minutansata (2014) |
| Euponera nubeculata | Sp. nov | jr synonym | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A ponerine ant. Moved to Pachycondyla nubeculata (2014) |
| Formica ceps | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A formicine ant. |
| Formica linquensis | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A formicine ant. |
| Formica ovala | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A formicine ant. |
| Heteromyrmex | Gen et sp. nov | jr homonym | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A myrmicine ant The type species is H. atopogaster Jr homonym of Heteromyrmex Wheeler (1920) Renamed Zhangidris (2003) |
| Iridomyrmex shandongicus | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A leptomyrmecine ant. Heterick and Shattuck (2011) considered unidentifiable. |
| Lasius mordicus | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A lasiine ant. |
| Lasius validus | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A lasiine ant. |
| Lasius validus | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A lasiine ant. |
| Leptogenys lacerata | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A ponerine ant. |
| Liometopum eremicum | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A tapinomine ant. |
| Liometopum potamophilum | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A tapinomine ant. |
| Miosolenopsis | Gen et sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A myrmicine ant genus The type species is M. fossilis |
| Myopopone sinensis | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A amblyoponine ant. |
| Shanwangella | Gen et sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A formicine ant genus The type species is S. palaeoptera Considered a jr synonym of Camponotus (2000) Resurrected as valid (2022) |
| Tapinoma baculum | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A tapinomine ant. |
| Technomyrmex septentrionalis | Sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A tapinomine ant. |
| Tylolasius | Gen et sp. nov | valid | Zhang | Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A formicine ant genus The type species is T. inflatus Deemed a jr synonym of Lasius (2001) |

#### Mecoptera

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Holcorpidae | Fam nov | valid | Willmann | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | A scorpionfly family, The type genus is Holcorpa The type species is H. maculosa | Holcorpa maculosa |

## Conodonts

German paleontologist and stratigrapher Heinz Walter Kozur (1942-2013) described the conodont genus Mesogondolella.

## Sauropterygians
### Plesiosaurs

| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Notes |
| Turneria | Preoccupied | Chatterjee Small | | preoccupied by the ant genus Turneria Forel, 1895; renamed Morturneria(1994) |

#### Plesiosaur research

* Plesiosaur gastroliths documented.

## Archosauriformes
### Archosauromorphs
#### Pseudosuchians

| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Revueltosaurus | Valid non-dinosaurian taxon | Hunt | | Late Triassic (early-middle Norian) | Bull Canyon Formation Petrified Forest Member | United States | A suchian. | |

#### Non avian dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.
| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Abrosaurus | Valid taxon | Ouyang | | Middle Jurassic (Bathonian-Callovian) | Xiashaximiao Formation | China | A macronarian. | Abrosaurus |
| Asiaceratops | Valid taxon | Lev A. Nesov and Kaznyshkina vide: Lev A. Nesov Kaznyshkina | Cherepanov | Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) | Khodzhakul Formation | Uzbekistan | A leptoceratopsid. | |
| Atlascopcosaurus | Valid taxon | Thomas H. Rich | Patricia Vickers-Rich | Early Cretaceous (early Albian) | Eumeralla Formation | Australia | An ornithopod. | |
| Bihariosaurus | Valid taxon | Marinescu | | Early Cretaceous (Berriasian) | Bauxite deposits | Romania | An iguanodont | |
| "Daptosaurus" | Junior synonym of Deinonychus | Brown vide: Chure | McIntosh | |
| "Eucentrosaurus" | Junior synonym of Centrosaurus | Chure | McIntosh | |
| Leaellynasaura | Valid taxon | Thomas H. Rich | Patricia Vickers-Rich | Early Cretaceous (early Albian) | Eumeralla Formation | Australia | An ornithopod. | Leaellynasaura |
| "Tenantosaurus" | Misspelling of Tenontosaurus | Brown vide: Chure | McIntosh | |
| Turanoceratops | Valid taxon | Lev A. Nesov and Kaznyshkina vide: Lev A. Nesov Kaznyshkina | Cherepanov | Late Cretaceous (Turonian) | Bissekty Formation | Uzbekistan | A ceratopsid. | |

#### Birds

| Name | Status | Novelty | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Accipiter efficax | Valid | Sp. nov. | Balouet & Olson | Holocene | Cave deposits | New Caledonia | An Accipitridae. |
| Accipiter quartus | Valid | Sp. nov. | Balouet & Olson | Holocene | Cave deposits | New Caledonia | An Accipitridae. |
| Apatosagittarius | Valid | Gen et Sp nov. | Feduccia & Voorhies | Miocene Late Clarendonian | Ash Hollow Formation | USA Nebraska | An Accipitridae The type species is A. terrenus |
| Aplonis diluvialis | Valid | Sp. nov. | Steadman | Holocene | Huahine, Society Islands | French Polynesia | A Sturnidae. |
| Caloenas canacorum | Valid | Sp. nov. | Balouet & Olson | Holocene | Cave deposits | New Caledonia | A Columbidae. |
| Eociconia | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Hou | Middle Eocene | Yixibaila Formation | China | A Ciconiidae The type species is E. sangequanensis |
| Euronyctibius | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Mourer-Chauviré | Eocene Late Eocene | Quercy Phosphorites Formation | France | First described as a Nyctibiidae transferred to Steatornithidae in 2013, The type species is E. kurochkini |
| Gallicolumba longitarsus | Valid | Sp. nov. | Balouet & Olson | Holocene | Cave deposits | New Caledonia | A Columbidae. |
| Megapodius alimentum | Valid | Sp. nov. | Steadman | Holocene | Lifuka | Tonga | A Megapodiidae. |
| Megapodius molistructor | Valid | Sp. nov. | Balouet & Olson | Holocene 1750 ± 70 YBP (Years Before Present) | Cave deposits | New Caledonia | A Megapodiidae. |
| Noguerornis | Valid | Gen et sp nov. | Ruiz | Early Cretaceous Late Berriasian-Early Valanginian | | Spain Catalonia | A Concornithidae enantiornithine The type species is N. gonzalezi. |
| Porphyrio kukwiedei | Valid | Sp. nov. | Balouet & Olson | Holocene | Cave deposits | New Caledonia | A Rallidae. |
| Puffinus nestori | Valid | Sp. nov. | Alcover | Late Pliocene | Cave deposits | Spain Ibiza | A Procellariidae. |
| Quercypodargus | Valid | Sp. nov. | Mourer-Chauviré | Eocene Late Eocene | Quercy Phosphorites Formation | France | A Podargidae The type species is Q. olsoni. |
| Rhynochetos orarius | Disputed | Sp. nov. | Balouet & Olson | Holocene | Cave deposits | New Caledonia | A rhynochetid kagu. Theuerkauf & Gula (2018) considered this a jr synonym of the extant R. jubatus. |
| Rostratula minator | Valid | Sp. nov. | Olson & Eller | Pliocene | Varswater Formation | South Africa | A Rostratulidae. |
| Sazavis | Valid | Gen et sp nov. | Nessov & Yarkov | Late Cretaceous Coniacian | Bissekty Formation | Uzbekistan | An Alexornithidae Enantiornithes The type species is S. prisca |
| Tyto letocarti | Valid | Sp. nov. | Balouet & Olson | Holocene | Cave deposits | New Caledonia | A Tytonidae. |
| Volgavis | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Nessov & Yarkov | Late Cretaceous Latest Maastrichtian | | Russia | A limnofregatine fregatid The type species is V. marina |
| Youngornis qiluensis | Valid | Sp. nov. | Yeh & Sun | Middle Miocene | Shanwang Formation | China | A Rallidae. |

### Pterosaurs

| Name | Status | Authors |
| Bogolubovia | Valid | Nesov A. A. Yarkov |
| Mesadactylus | Valid | Jensen Padian |
| Tapejara | Valid | Kellner |