# 2004 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 2004.

## Protozoa
### New taxa

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Paleoleishmania | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Poinar & Poinar | Albian | Burmese amber | Myanmar | Oldest record of the protozoan family Trypanosomatidae, Type species P. proterus | Paleoleishmania proterus |

## Fungi
### newly named

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Appianoporites | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Smith, Currah, & Stockey | Eocene | Appian Way Flora. | Canada | Extinct bracket fungus | |
| Quatsinoporites | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Smith, Currah, & Stockey | Barremian (Cretaceous) | Longarm Formation. | Canada | Extinct bracket fungus. | |

## Plants
### Newly named plants

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Fagus langevinii | Sp nov | Valid | Manchester & Dillhoff | Ypresian | Tranquille Formation | Canada British Columbia | A beech tree species | Fagus langevinii |
| Liquidambar changii | Sp nov. | Valid | Pigg, Ickert-Bond, & Wen | Middle Miocene | "Yakima Canyon Flora" | USA | A species of sweetgum | Liquidambar changii |
| Neviusia dunthornei | Sp nov | Valid | DeVore, Moore, Pigg, & Wehr | Eocene Ypresian | Okanagan Highlands Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | oldest and only extinct species of Neviusia | |
| Palaeocarpinus dakotensis | Sp nov | Valid | Manchester & Chen | Paleocene Tiffanian | Fort Union Group Sentinel Butte Formation | USA North Dakota | A betulaceous fruit | |

## Arthropoda
### newly named arachnids

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| ?Anyphops cortex | sp nov | jr synonym | Wunderlich | Unknown | Madagascar copal | Madagascar | jr Synonym of Garcorops jadis | |
| Garcorops jadis | sp nov | Valid | Bosselaers | Unknown | Madagascar copal | Madagascar | Possibly extant, but copal age is not determined | |

### Newly named insects

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Afromyrma | Gen et sp nov | valid | Dlussky, Brothers & Rasnitsyn | Turonian | | Botswana | A Myrmicin ant, type species A. petrosa | |
| Afropone | Gen et sp nov | valid | Dlussky, Brothers & Rasnitsyn | Turonian | | Botswana | A ponerin ant, two species | |
| Albicoccus | Fam, gen et sp nov | valid | Koteja | Albian - Cenomanian | Burmese amber | Myanmar | A scale insect, monotypic with Albicoccidae & A. dimai | |
| Burmacoccus | Fam, gen et sp nov | valid | Koteja | Albian - Cenomanian | Burmese amber | Myanmar | A scale insect, monotypic with Burmacoccidae & B. danyi | |
| Carebara antiqua | Comb nov | valid | (Mayr, 1868) | Middle Eocene | Baltic amber | Europe | Fossil myrmicine ant | Carebara antiqua |
| Electrostephanus janzeni | Sp nov | jr synonym | Engel | Lutetian | Baltic Amber | Russia | A stephanid wasp | |
| Gerontoformica | Gen et sp nov | valid | Nel & Perrault | Albian - Cenomanian | Charentese amber | France | A stem group ant, type species G. cretacica | Gerontoformica cretacica |
| Marmyan | gen et sp nov | valid | Koteja | Cenomanian | Burmese amber | Myanmar | A scale insect, monotypic M. barbarae | |
| Microberotha | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Archibald | Ypresian | Hat Creek Amber | Canada | A Berothid lacewing | |
| Palaeomyia | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Poinar | Cenomanian | Burmese amber | Myanmar | A Phlebotomidae sand fly, type species P. burmitis | Palaeomyia burmitis |

## Molluscs
### Cephalopods

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Conlinites | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Kennedy | Early Cretaceous (Albian) | Paw Paw Formation | USA ( Texas) | An ammonite, type species is C. wrighti. |
| Enigmaticeras | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Kennedy | Early Cretaceous (Albian) | Paw Paw Formation | USA ( Texas) | An ammonite, type species is E. riceae. |
| Ficheuria americana | Sp nov | Valid | Kennedy | Early Cretaceous (Albian) | Paw Paw Formation | USA ( Texas) | An ammonite. |
| Mariella (Mariella) asper | Sp nov | Valid | Kennedy | Early Cretaceous (Albian) | Paw Paw Formation | USA ( Texas) | An ammonite. |
| Neophlycticeras (Paradolphia) occidentalis | Sp nov | Valid | Kennedy | Early Cretaceous (Albian) | Paw Paw Formation | USA ( Texas) | An ammonite. |

## Newly named fishes

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Gomphonchus? minutus | Sp. nov | Valid | Valiukevičius | Late Silurian | Minija Formation | Latvia | An acanthodian belonging to the group Ischnacanthiformes and the family Ischnacanthidae. |
| Lophosteus canadensis | Sp. nov | Valid | Schultze & Märss | Late Silurian | Barlow Inlet Formation | Canada | A bony fish belonging to the group Lophosteiformes. |
| Lophosteus ohesaarensis | Sp. nov | Valid | Schultze & Märss | Late Silurian | | Estonia  Latvia | A bony fish belonging to the group Lophosteiformes. |
| Lophosteus uralensis | Sp. nov | Valid | Schultze & Märss | Early Devonian | | Russia | A bony fish belonging to the group Lophosteiformes. |
| Nostolepis alifera | Sp. nov | Valid | Valiukevičius | Late Silurian | Targale Formation | Latvia | An acanthodian belonging to the group Climatiiformes and the family Climatiidae. |
| Nostolepis latvica | Sp. nov | Valid | Valiukevičius | Late Silurian | Minija Formation Targale Formation | Latvia | An acanthodian belonging to the group Climatiiformes and the family Climatiidae. |
| Perscheia | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Elliott, Mark-Kurik & Daeschler | Devonian (Frasnian) | Nordstrand Point Formation | Canada | A member of Pteraspidiformes belonging to the group Psammosteida and the family Obrucheviidae. The type species is P. pulla |
| Poracanthodes marssae | Sp. nov | Valid | Valiukevičius | Late Silurian | Targale Formation | Estonia  Latvia | An acanthodian belonging to the group Ischnacanthiformes and the family Poracanthidae. |
| Poracanthodes sulcatus | Sp. nov | Valid | Valiukevičius | Late Silurian | Targale Formation | Estonia  Latvia | An acanthodian belonging to the group Ischnacanthiformes and the family Poracanthidae. |
| Talimaalepis | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Žigaitė | Silurian | Dashtygoi Formation Kyzyl-Tchiraa Formation Tchergak Formation | Mongolia  Russia | A thelodont, possibly a member of the group Phlebolepidiformes. The type species is T. rimae |
| Trimpleylepis | Gen. et 2 sp. nov | Valid | Miller, Märss & Blom | Late Silurian | | Estonia  United Kingdom | A member of Anaspida belonging to the group Birkeniida, possibly a member of the family Septentrioniidae. The type species is T. juncta; genus also includes T. concatenata. |

## Newly named amphibians

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Jakubsonia | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Lebedev | Devonian (Famennian) | | Russia | A basal member of Tetrapoda. The type species is J. livnensis | |

## Reptile
### Archosauromorphs
#### Newly named dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Atrociraptor | | Valid | Currie & Varricchio | Edmontonian | Horseshoe Canyon Formation | Canada | | Atrociraptor |
| Bashunosaurus | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Kuang | Middle Jurassic | Xiashaximiao Formation | China | | |
| Bissektipelta | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Parish & Barrett | Cenomanian-Turonian | Bissekty Formation | Uzbekistan | | |
| Bonatitan | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Martinelli & Forasiepi | Late Cretaceous | Bajo de Santa Rosa | Argentina | | |
| Bonitasaura | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Apesteguía | late Cretaceous | Bajo de la Carpa Formation | Argentina | | Bonitasaura |
| Borealosaurus | Gen et sp nov | Valid | You, Ji, Lamanna, Li, & Li | late Cretaceous | Sunjiawan Formation | China | | |
| Dilong | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Xu, Norell, Kuang, Wang, Zhao, & Jia | Early Cretaceous | Yixian Formation | China | | Dilong |
| Ekrixinatosaurus | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Calvo, Rubilar-Rogers, & Moreno | Late Cretaceous | Candeleros Formation | Argentina | | Ekrixinatosaurus |
| Graciliraptor | | Valid | Xing & Wang | Barremian | Yixian Formation | China | | |
| Huaxiagnathus | | Valid | Hwang, Norell, Ji, & Gao | Barremian | Yixian Formation | China | | Huaxiagnathus |
| Kerberosaurus | | Valid | Bolotsky & Godefroit | Late Cretaceous | | Russia | | |
| Limaysaurus | | Valid | Salgado, Garrido, Cocca, & Cocca | | | Argentina | | Limaysaurus |
| Mei | | Valid | Xu & Norell | Barremian | Yixian Formation | China | | Mei |
| Mirischia | | Valid | Naish, Martill, & Frey | Albian | Santana Formation | Brazil | | Mirischia |
| Nemegtia | | Preoccupied name | Lü, Tomida, Azuma, Dong, Lee, & Szczechura | | | | Renamed Nemegtomaia | |
| Otogosaurus | | Nomen nudum | Zhao & Tan | | | | | |
| Prenoceratops | | Valid | Chinnery | | | USA Montana | | Prenoceratops |
| Rugops | | Valid | Sereno, Wilson, & Conrad | | | Niger | | Rugops |
| Sinusonasus | | Valid | Xu, & Wang | Barremian | Yixian Formation | China | | |
| Spinostropheus | | Valid | Sereno, Wilson & Conrad | Middle Jurassic | Irhazer Group | Niger | A ceratosaur; new genus for "Elaphrosaurus" gautieri Lapparent 1960. | |
| Suuwassea | | Valid | Harris & Dodson | Kimmeridgian | Morrison Formation | United States | | Suuwassea |
| Talenkauen | | Valid | | Novas, Cambiaso, & Ambrosio | Pari Aike Formation | Argentina | | Talenkauen |
| Tazoudasaurus | | Valid | | Allain et al | | Morocco | | |
| Unaysaurus | | Valid | | Leal, Azevedo, Kellner, & Da Rosa | Caturrita Formation | Brazil | | Unaysaurus |

#### Pterosaurs
##### New taxa

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Avgodectes | Valid | Peters | Early Cretaceous | Yixian Formation | China | A pterosaur hatchling. |
| Cacibupteryx | Valid | Gasparini Fernández de la Fuente | Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) | Jagua Formation | Cuba | A rhamphorhynchid. |
| "Daitingopterus" | Nomen Nudum | Maisch Matzke Ge Sun | Late Jurassic (Tithonian) | Solnhofen Limestone | Germany | A germanodactylid. |
| Lonchognathosaurus | Valid | Maisch, M.W., Matzke, A.T., and Ge Sun | Early Cretaceous (Aptian) | Lianmuqin Formation | China | A dsungaripterid. |

### Other archosauromorphs

| Name | Status | Authors Location | Authors Location | Notes | Images |
| Crosbysaurus | Valid non-dinosaurian taxon. | Heckert | USA | |
| Protecovasaurus | Valid non-dinosaurian taxon. | Heckert | USA | |

### Newly named birds

| Name | Status | Novelty | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Aberratiodontus | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Gong, Hou & Wang | Early Cretaceous | Jiufotang Formation | China | An Enantiornithes, Type species A. wui |
| Anserpica kiliani | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Cécile Mourer-Chauviré Didier Berthet Marguerite Hugueney | Late Oligocene, Early Miocene | MP 29 | France | An Anseranatidae, the type species of Anserpica Mourer-Chauviré, Berthet & Hugueney, 2004. |
| Bavaripsitta ballmanni | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Gerald Mayr Ursula B. Göhlich | Middle Miocene | Mn 6 | Germany:  Bavaria | A Psittacidae, the type species of Bavaripsitta Mayr & Göhlich, 2004. |
| Borvocarbo guilloti | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Cécile Mourer-Chauviré Didier Berthet Marguerite Hugueney | Late Oligocene, Early Miocene | MP 30, MN 1 | France;  Germany | A Phalacrocoracidae, the type species of Borvocarbo Mourer-Chauviré, Berthet & Hugueney, 2004. |
| ?Colymboides metzleri | Valid | Sp. nov. | Gerald Mayr | Early Oligocene | Rupelian | Germany:  Baden-Württemberg;  Belgium:  Antwerp | A Gaviidae, not certain a species of Colymboides Milne-Edwards, 1868. |
| Eurotrochilus inexpectatus | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Gerald Mayr | Early Oligocene | Rupelian | Germany:  Baden-Württemberg | A Trochilidae, the type species of Eurotrochilus Mayr, 2004. |
| Iaceornis marshi | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Julia A. Clarke | Late Cretaceous | Niobrara Formation | USA:  Kansas | An Ornithurae, the type species of Iaceornis Clarke, 2004. |
| Longirostravis hani | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Hou Lianhai Luis M. Chiappe Zhang Fucheng Chuong Cheng-Ming | Early Cretaceous | Yixian Formation | China | An Enantiornithes, Euenantiornithes, the type species of Longirostravis Hou, Chiappe, Zhang et Chuong, 2004. |
| Meridiocichla salotti | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Antoine Louchart | Late Quaternary | Corsica, Crete | France:  Corsica;  Greece | A Turdidae, the type species of Meridiocichla Louchart, 2004. |
| Miopica paradoxa | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Evgeny N. Kurochkin Denis V. Sobolev | Miocene | Middle Meothis MN 10 | Ukraine | A Corvidae, the type species of Miopica Kurochkin & Sobolev, 2004. |
| Mirolia brevirostrata | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Peter Ballmann | Middle Miocene | MN 6 | Germany:  Bavaria | A Scolopacidae, the type species of Mirolia Ballmann, 2004. |
| Mirolia dubia | Valid | Sp. nov. | Peter Ballmann | Middle Miocene | MN 6 | Germany:  Bavaria | A Scolopacidae. |
| ?Mirolia mascalidris | Valid | Sp. nov. | Peter Ballmann | Middle Miocene | MN 6 | Germany:  Bavaria | A Scolopacidae, not certain to belong in Mirolia Ballmann, 2004. |
| Mirolia parvula | Valid | Sp. nov. | Peter Ballmann | Middle Miocene | MN 6 | Germany:  Bavaria | A Scolopacidae. |
| Primobucco frugilegus | Valid | Sp. nov. | Gerald Mayr Cécile Mourer-Chauviré Ilka Weidig | Middle Eocene | Messel pit, MP 11 | Germany:  Hessen | A Primobucconidae Feduccia et Martin, 1976. |
| Primobucco perneri | Valid | Sp. nov. | Gerald Mayr Cécile Mourer-Chauviré Ilka Weidig | Middle Eocene | Messel pit MP 11 | Germany:  Hessen | A Primobucconidae Feduccia et Martin, 1976. |
| Ramphastosula ramirezi | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Marcelo Stucchi Mario Urbina | Early Pliocene | Pisco Formation | Peru | A Sulidae, the type species of Ramphastosula Stucchi & Urbina, 2004. |
| Tyto mourerchauvireae | Valid | Sp. nov. | Marco Pavia | Early-Middle Pleistocene | Sicily | Italy:  Sicily | A Tytonidae. |
| Vescornis hebeiensis | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Zhang Fucheng Per G.P. Ericson Zhou Zhonghe | Early Cretaceous | Yixian Formation | China | An Enentiornithes Walker, 1981, this is the type species of the new genus, most probably a junior synonym of Hebeiornis fengningensis Yan, 1999. |
| Vitirallus watlingi | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Trevor H. Worthy | Holocene | Viti Levu | Fiji | A Rallidae, the type species of Vitirallus Worthy, 2004. |
| Wingegyps cartellei | Valid | Gen et sp. nov. | Herculano M. F. de Alvarenga Storrs L. Olson | Late Pleistocene or Early Holocene | Gruta dos Brejões | Brazil | A Cathartidae, the type species of Wingegyps Alvarenga & Olson, 2004. |

### New taxa

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Plesiopterys | Valid | O'Keefe | Toarcian | Posidonienschiefer | Germany | |

## Synapsids
### Non-mammalian

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Images |
| Ianthodon | Valid | Kissel & Reisz | Kasimovian | | USA | Lobalopex |
| Lobalopex | Valid | Sidor, Hopson and Keyser | Lopingian | Teekloof Formation | South Africa | Lobalopex |
| Progalesaurus | Valid | Sidor & Smith | Induan | Balfour Formation | South Africa | Lobalopex |
| Pyozia | Valid | Anderson and Reisz | Capitanian | Krasnoschelsk Formation | Russia | Lobalopex |
| Rewaconodon | Valid | Datta, Das & Luo | Late Triassic | Tiki Formation | India | Lobalopex |

## Other Animals

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Charniodiscus procerus | Valid | LaFlamme et al., 2004 | Ediacaran | Mistaken Point Formation and Trepassey Formation | Canada | | |