# 1940 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 1940.

## Plants
### Angiosperms

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Eucommia eocenica | Sp nov | valid | (Berry) Brown | Middle Eocene | Claiborne Formation | USA Tennessee | new generic placement of Simaroubites eocenica | |
| Eucommia montana | Sp nov | valid | Brown | Middle Eocene | Renova Formation | USA Montana | Eucommia species, found across Western North America | Eucommia montana |
| Pseudolarix americana | Sp nov. | nomen nudum | Brown | Ypresian | Klondike Mountain Formation | USA Washington | A golden larch species, split into Pseudolarix arnoldii and Pseudolarix wehrii in 1992 | Pseudolarix wehrii |
| Tetrapteris simsoni | Sp nov | jr synonym | Brown | Middle Eocene | Clarno Formation | USA Oregon | A walnut relative. Moved to Cruciptera simsonii in 1991 | |

## Arthropods
### insects

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Centrinus longipes | Sp nov | valid | Piton | Thanetian | Menat Formation | France | A weevil | Centrinus longipes |
| Lixus ligniticus | Sp nov | valid | Piton | Thanetian | Menat Formation | France | A weevil | Lixus ligniticus |
| Doryderes laticollis | Sp nov | valid | Piton | Thanetian | Menat Formation | France | A pentatomid stinkbug | Doryderes laticollis |
| Phaenolobus arvernus | Sp nov | valid | Piton | Thanetian | Menat Formation | France | An ichneumonid wasp | Phaenolobus arvernus |

## Archosauromorphs
### Crurotarsans

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Asiatosuchus grangeri | Gen. et. sp. nov | Valid | Mook | Upper Eocene | Irdin Manha Formation | China | A crocodyloid. | |

### Dinosaurs

Data from George Olshevky's dinosaur genera list.
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Caenagnathus | | Valid | Sternberg | | | Canada Alberta | | Caenagnathus |

## Plesiosaurs
### New taxa

| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Location | Images |
| Seeleyosaurus | Valid | White | | Germany | |
| Tremamesacleis | Jr. Synonym of Muraenosaurus. | White | | | |

## Synapsids
### Non-mammalian

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Location |
| Aelurosauroides | Jr. Synonym of Aelurosaurus. | | | |
| Aelurosauropsis | Valid | Haughton and Brink | | |
| Bienotherium | Valid | Young | 193 Millions of years ago. | China |
| Dicynodontoides | Valid | Broom | 257 Millions of years ago. | South Africa  Tanzania  Zambia |
| Leontocephalus | Jr. Synonym of Aelurognathus. | | | |
| Nanictocephalus | Valid | Broom | 257 Millions of years ago | South Africa |
| Prorubidgea | Jr. Synonym of Aelurognathus | | | |