2016 In Paleontology

Flora

Plants

Fungi

Cnidarians

Research

* '' Yunnanoascus haikouensis'', previously thought to be a member of Ctenophora, is reinterpreted as a crown-group medusozoan by Han ''et al.'' (2016).
* A study on the fossil corals from the Late Triassic (Norian) outcrops in Antalya Province (Turkey), indicating that the corals lived in symbiosis with photosynthesizing dinoflagellate algae, is published by Frankowiak ''et al.'' (2016).

New taxa

Arthropods

Bryozoans

Brachiopods

Molluscs

Echinoderms

Conodonts

Fishes

Amphibians

Research

* A study on the histology and growth histories of the humeri of the specimens of ''Acanthostega'' recovered from the mass-death deposit of Stensiö Bjerg (Greenland) is published by Sanchez ''et al.'' (2016), who argue that even the largest individuals from this deposit are juveniles.
* Fossils of a tetrapod resembling ''Ichthyostega'' and a probable whatcheeriid-grade tetrapod are described from two Devonian (Famennian) localities from Belgium by Olive ''et al.'' (2016).
* A study on the functional significance of the interpterygoid vacuities (holes in the palate) in temnospondyls is published by Lautenschlager, Witzmann & Werneburg (2016).
* A study on the stress distribution in the skulls of ''Edingerella madagascariensis'' and '' Stanocephalosaurus birdi'' during the bite, with implications for establishing the ecological niches occupied by these temnospondyls, is published by Fortuny ''et al.'' (2016).
* A study on the anatomy, ecological niche and life history of members the population of ''Eocyclotosaurus appetolatus'' known from the Tecolotito bonebed (Moenkopi Formation; New Mexico, United States) is published by Rinehart & Lucas (2016).
* A study on the morphology of the skull and braincase of ''Brachydectes newberryi'' is published by Pardo & Anderson (2016).
* A study on the locomotor capabilities of ''Triadobatrachus massinoti'' is published by Lires, Soto & Gómez (2016).
* A revised description of the holotype of ''Triadobatrachus massinoti'' based on X-ray micro-tomography data is published by Ascarrunz ''et al.'' (2016).
* The first unambiguous frog fossil from the Jurassic of Asia (an atlantal centrum of a possible member of the genus ''Eodiscoglossus'') is described from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) Itat Formation (Russia) by Skutschas, Martin & Krasnolutskii (2016).

New taxa

Temnospondyls

Lissamphibians

Others

Reptiles

Synapsids

Non-mammalian synapsids

Research

* A study on the respiratory system and paleobiology of caseids is published by Lambertz ''et al.'' (2016), who argue that at least some caseids might have been predominantly aquatic and that a homologue of the mammalian diaphragm might have been present in caseids.
* A redescription of the sphenacodontian taxa ''Palaeohatteria'' and ''Pantelosaurus'' is published by Spindler (2016), who assigns both these taxa to the clade Palaeohatteriidae, but considers it likely that they represent distinct valid taxa.
* A study on the paleoneurology of non-mammaliaform therapsids is published by Benoit, Manger & Rubidge (2016), who argue that whiskers, body hair coverage and mammary glands might have been present in some non-mammaliaform therapsids.
* A study on the occurrence and size of the parietal foramen (an opening in which the pineal eye is located) in non-mammaliaform therapsids (especially non-mammaliaform eutheriodonts) known from the Karoo Supergroup of South Africa is published by Benoit ''et al.'' (2016).
* A study of life histories and growth patterns as indicated by bone tissue microstructure and body size in members of three synapsid groups that survived Permian–Triassic extinction event (dicynodonts, therocephalians and cynodonts) and one that didn't (gorgonopsians) is published by Botha-Brink ''et al.'' (2016).
* A revision of the systematics of the gorgonopsian subfamily Rubidgeinae is published by Kammerer (2016).
* A study on the anatomy and potential function of the cranial outgrowths of '' Choerosaurus dejageri'' is published by Benoit ''et al.'' (2016).
* Benoit & Jasinoski (2016) present a digital reconstruction of the lost holotype specimen of the cynodont species ''Scalopocynodon gracilis'' (a junior synonym of ''Procynosuchus delaharpeae'').
* A study on the microstructure of the postcanine teeth of the trirachodontid cynodont ''Cricodon metabolus'' is published by Hendrickx, Abdala & Choiniere (2016).
* A description of a new specimen of '' Massetognathus ochagaviae'' collected at the Middle Triassic ''Dinodontosaurus'' Assemblage Zone (Brazil) is published by Pavanatto ''et al.'' (2016).
* A study comparing the growth patterns of the tritylodontid cynodont ''Oligokyphus'' and the basal mammaliaform ''Morganucodon'' is published by O'Meara & Asher (2016).
* Hair-like structures found in a coprolite recovered from the Late Permian Vyazniki site (Russia), which might represent the oldest evidence of hair in the stem group of mammals, are described by Bajdek ''et al.'' (2016).

New taxa

Mammals

Other animals

Research

* Traces of a wriggling, mucus-secreting animal are described from the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation (China) by Wang ''et al.'' (2016), who name a new ichnotaxon '' Linbotulitaenia globulus''.
* New fossils of ''Ernietta plateauensis'' are described from the Ediacaran site in southern Namibia by Elliott ''et al.'' (2016).
* Embryo-like fossils are described from the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation (China) by Yin ''et al.'' (2016), who argue that at least some of these fossils represent crown-animal embryos.
* New fossil material of ''Oesia disjuncta'' is described by Nanglu ''et al.'' (2016), who interpret this species as a primitive acorn worm that inhabited the tubes previously identified as the alga ''Margaretia''.
* A redescription of '' Helenodora inopinata'' and a study of its phylogenetic relationships is published by Murdock, Gabbott & Purnell (2016).
* Description of the anatomy of the fossil velvet worm '' Cretoperipatus burmiticus'' and a study on its phylogenetic relationships is published by de Sena Oliveira ''et al.'' (2016).
* A study on the anatomy of the mouth apparatus of the lobopodian ''Pambdelurion whittingtoni'' is published by Vinther ''et al.'' (2016), who show that its mouth apparatus was identical to the fossilized feeding apparatus described under the name ''Omnidens''.

New taxa

Other organisms

New taxa

Research

* Probable stromatolites are described from the 3,700-Myr-old rocks from the Isua supracrustal belt (Greenland) by Nutman ''et al.'' (2016); however, Allwood ''et al.'' (2018) subsequently argue that these putative stromatolites as more likely to be structures of non-biological origin.
* Exceptionally large, organic, smooth-walled, coccoidal microfossils are described from the 2.52 Ga Gamohaan Formation (South Africa) by Czaja, Beukes & Osterhout (2016), who interpret them as fossils of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria similar to members of the modern genus ''Thiomargarita''.
* Macroscopic fossils up to 30 cm long and nearly 8 cm wide are described from the 1,56-billion-year-old Gaoyuzhuang Formation (Yanshan area, North China) by Zhu ''et al.'' (2016), who interpret them as probable fossils of benthic multicellular eukaryotes of size that is unprecedentedly large for eukaryotes older than the Ediacaran Period.
* Organic-walled microfossils (at least some of which are eukaryote fossils) with holes in the walls similar to those formed by predatory protists in the walls of their prey to consume the contents inside are described from the 780–740 million-year-old Chuar Group (Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA) by Porter (2016).
* Tubular microfossils showing similarities to modern coenocytic green and yellow-green algae are described from the ~2.8 to 2.7 Ga lacustrine deposits in South Africa by Kaźmierczak ''et al.'' (2016).
* Soft-bodied discoidal specimens resembling ''Aspidella'' are described from the Ediacaran Cerro Negro Formation (Argentina) by Arrouy ''et al.'' (2016).

References

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2010s in paleontology
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