# 1974 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 1974.

## Bryophytes

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Ditrichites fylesi | Sp nov | valid | Kuc | Ypresian | Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | A possible ditrichaceous moss |
| Muscites maycocki | Sp nov | valid | Kuc | Ypresian | Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | A moss of uncertain placement |
| Muscites ritchiei | Sp nov | valid | Kuc | Ypresian | Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | A moss of uncertain placement |
| Palaeohypnum jovet-asti | Sp nov | jr synonym | Kuc | Ypresian | Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | An amblystegiaceous moss Moved to Hypnites jovet-astiae in 1980 |
| Palaeohypnum steerei | Sp nov | jr synonym | Kuc | Ypresian | Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | An amblystegiaceous moss Moved to Hypnites steerei in 1980 |

## Plants
### Angiosperms

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Quercus paleocarpa | Gen et sp nov | valid | Manchester | Middle Eocene | Clarno Formation | US Oregon | An oak | |

## Archosauromorphs
### General research

* Massospondylus gastroliths are documented.

### Newly named dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Chubutisaurus | gen et sp nov | Valid | del Corro | Albian | Cerro Barcino Formation | Argentina | | Chubutisaurus |
| Homalocephale | gen et sp nov | Valid | Maryańska & Osmólska | late Cretaceous | | Mongolia | | Homalocephale |
| Labocania | gen et sp nov | Valid | Molnar | Campanian | La Bocana Roja Formation | Mexico | possible tyrannosauroid | Labocania anomala |
| Prenocephale | gen et sp nov | Valid | Maryańska & Osmólska | late Cretaceous | | Mongolia | | Prenocephale |
| Stokesosaurus | gen et sp nov | Valid | Madsen | Late Jurassic | Morrison Formation, Utah | US Utah | | Stokesosaurus langhami |
| Tylocephale | gen et sp nov | Valid | Maryańska & Osmólska | late Cretaceous | | Mongolia | | Tylocephale |

### Newly named birds

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Chunga incerta | Sp. nov. | Valid | Eduardo P. Tonni | Late Pliocene | Monte Hermoso Formation | Argentina | A Cariamidae. |
| Cryptociconia indica | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Colin J. O. Harrison | Pliocene | Siwalik Series | India | A Ciconiidae, this is the type species of the new genus. |
| Dendrocopos praemedius | Sp. nov. | Valid | Dénes Jánossy | Late Pliocene | MN 17 | Austria | A Picidae. |
| Francolinus minor | Sp. nov. | Valid | Dénes Jánossy | Late Pleistocene | Villafranchian | Poland | A Phasianidae. |
| Francolinus villanyiensis | Sp. nov. | Valid | Dénes Jánossy | Late Pliocene | MN 16 | Poland | A Phasianidae. |
| Francolinus wenzensis | Sp. nov. | Valid | Dénes Jánossy | Early Pliocene | MN 15 | Poland | A Phasianidae. |
| Gobipteryx minuta | Gen. nov. et Sp. nov. | Valid | Andrzej Elzanowski | Late Cretaceous | ?Campanian, Barun Goyot Formation | Mongolia | Described in the Palaeognathae, but transferred to the Enantiornithes Walker, 1981, this is the type species of the new genus. |
| Leptoptilos richae | Sp. nov. | Valid | Colin J. O. Harrison | Late Miocene | Belgia Formation | Tunisia | A Ciconiidae. |
| Leptoptilos siwalikensis | Sp. nov. | Valid | Colin J. O. Harrison | Pliocene | Siwalik Series | India | A Ciconiidae. |
| Neophrontops slaughteri | Sp. nov. | Valid | Alan Feduccia | Late Pliocene | Glenns Ferry Formatie, Hagerman Local Fauna | US ( Idaho) | An Accipitridae. |
| Nesotrochis steganinos | Sp. nov. | Valid | Storrs L. Olson | Quaternary | Cave deposits | Haiti | A flightless Rallidae. |
| Pachydyptes simpsoni | Sp. nov. | Valid | R. J. F Jenkins | Late Eocene | Blanche Point Marls, Aldingan Stage | Australia | A Spheniscidae. |
| Tetrao conjugens | Sp. nov. | Valid | Dénes Jánossy | Late Pliocene | ?Campanian, Węże 1 | Poland | A Phasianidae. |
| Tetrastes praebonasia | Sp. nov. | Valid | Dénes Jánossy | Early Pleistocene | Tarkö - lagen 11, 12; Hundsheim; Montoussé | Austria  France  Hungary | A Phasianidae, transferred to the genus Bonasa Stephen, 1819 by Zygmunt Bocheński, 1991. |

### Newly named pterosaurs

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Gallodactylus | gen et sp nov | subjective synonym | Fabre | Late Jurassic | | France | subjective synonym of Cycnorhamphus | Cycnorhamphus suevicus |
| Herbstosaurus | gen et sp nov | Valid | Casamiquela | Tithonian | Vaca Muerta Formation | Argentina | | |