# 1986 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 1986.

## Plants
### Pinophytes

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type Strata | Location | Notes | Images |
| Abies milleri | sp nov | Valid | Schorn & Wehr | Eocene Ypresian | Eocene Okanagan Highlands Klondike Mountain Formation | USA | One of the oldest fir species | Abies milleri |

### Angiosperms

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type Strata | Location | Notes |
| Macginicarpa | Gen et sp nov | valid | Manchester | Middle Eocene | Clarno Formation | USA Oregon | A platanaceous infructescence genus. Type species M. glabra. |
| Macginistemon | Gen et comb nov | valid | (MacGinitie) Manchester | Middle Eocene | Clarno Formation | USA Oregon | A platanaceous stamen species. Moved from Calycites mikanoides 1941. |
| Macginitiea angustiloba | Comb nov | valid | (Lesquereux) Manchester | Middle Eocene | Clarno Formation | USA Oregon | A platanaceous species. Moved from Aralia angustiloba 1878. |
| Platananthus | Gen et sp nov | valid | Manchester | Middle Eocene | Clarno Formation | USA Oregon | A platanaceous staminate inflorescence genus. Type species P. synandrus. |

## Newly described insects

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type Strata | Location | Notes | Images |
| Stenolestes fischeri | Sp nov | Valid | Nel | Chattian | | France | A Sieblosiid damselfly. | Stenolestes fischeri |

## Molluscs
### Bivalves

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type Strata | Location | Notes | Images |
| Buluniella | gen et sp nov | nomen dubium | Jermak | Early Cambrian | "northern Siberia" | Russia | possible jr synonym of Pojetaia | |
| Jellia | gen et sp nov | junior synonym | Li & Zhou | Early Cambrian | Henan province | China | jr synonym of Pojetaia runnegari | |

## Fish

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type Strata | Location | Notes | Images |
| Dwykaselachus | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Oelofsen | Permian | Prince Albert Formation (Ecca Group) | South Africa | A member of Symmoriida. The type species is D. oosthuizeni. | |

## Dinosaurs
### Newly named dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.
| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Location | Images |
| Avaceratops | Valid taxon | Dodson | | USA ( Montana) | Avaceratops |
| Baryonyx | Valid taxon | Alan J. Charig | Angela C. Milner | Spain  England | Baryonyx |
| Conchoraptor | Valid taxon | Rinchen Barsbold | | Mongolia |
| Frenguellisaurus | Jr. synonym of Herrerasaurus | Fernando Novas | | Argentina |
| Lapparentosaurus | Valid taxon | Jose Bonaparte | | Madagascar | |
| Siamosaurus | Valid taxon | Eric Buffetaut | Ingavat | Thailand | Siamosaurus |
| Xenotarsosaurus | Valid taxon | Martinez Gimenez | Rodriguez Bochatey | Argentina | |

### Newly named birds

| Name | Status | Novelty | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Asiavis | Valid | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Nessov | Middle Eocene | | Uzbekistan | A Cygninae, type species A. phosphatica |
| Bubo insularis | Valid | Sp. nov. | Mourer-Chauviré & Weesie | Late Pleistocene | | France: Corsica; Italy: Sardinia | A Strigidae. |
| Eopuffinus | Valid | Gen. et Sp. nov. | Nessov | Late Paleocene | | Kazakhstan | A Procellariidae, type species E. kazachstanensis |
| Eurolimnornis | Valid | Gen. et Sp. nov. | Kessler & Jurcsák | Early Cretaceous | | Romania | A Eurolimnornithidae, type species is E. corneti. |
| Gallirallus ripleyi | Valid | Sp. nov. | Steadman | Holocene | Mangaia | Cook Islands | A Rallidae. |
| Ichthyornis maltshevskyi | jr synonym | Sp. nov. | Nessov | Coniacian | Bissekty Formation | Uzbekistan | Described as an Ichthyornithidae, transferred to Lenesornis maltshevskyi in Kurochkin, 1996. |
| Nanantius | Valid | Gen. et Sp. nov. | Molnar | Albian | Toolebuc Formation | Australia:  Queensland | A Gobipteryginae Alexornithid, type species N. eos |
| Palaeocursornis | Valid | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Kessler & Jurcsák | Early Cretaceous | | Romania | A Eurolimnornithidae, type genus P. biharicus |
| Pliogyps charon | Valid | Sp. nov. | Becker | Late Miocene | Alachua Formation | USA: Florida | A Cathartidae. |
| Porzana rua | Valid | Sp. nov. | Steadman | Holocene | Mangaia | Cook Islands | A Rallidae. |

## Plesiosaurs
### New taxa

| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Location | Notes | Images |
| Tuarangisaurus | Valid | Wiffen Moisley | | Angola  New Zealand | A Plesiosaur from New Zealand | Tuarangisaurus |

## Pterosaurs

* Fossil jaw fragments containing multicusped teeth were found in Dockum Group rocks in western Texas. One fragment, apparently from a lower jaw, contained two teeth, each with five cusps. Another fragment, from an upper jaw, also contained several multi-cusped teeth. These finds are very similar to the pterosaur genus Eudimorphodon and may be attributable to this genus, although without better fossil remains it is impossible to be sure.

### New taxa

| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Notes |
| Phobetor | Junior Synonym | Bakhurina | | Synonym of Noripterus. |

## Synapsids
### Mammals

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type Strata | Location | Notes | Images |
| Hulitherium tomasetti | | Valid | Tomasetti & Plane | Pleistocene | | Papua New Guinea | A Diprotodont Metatherian. | |
| Rostriamynodon grangeri | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Wall & Manning | Early late Eocene | Irdin Manha Formation | China | An amynodontid | |