2012 in paleontology
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{{Year nav topic20|2012|paleontology|science|paleobotany |arthropod paleontology |paleoentomology |paleomalacology |reptile paleontology |archosaur paleontology |mammal paleontology |paleoichthyology}}
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{{Year in paleontology header|2012}}
Note: In 2012, the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature was amended, with new regulations allowing the publication of new names and nomenclatural acts in zoology after 2011, in works "produced in an edition containing simultaneously obtainable copies by a method that assures (...) widely accessible electronic copies with fixed content and layout", provided that the work is registered in ZooBank before it is published, the work itself states the date of publication with evidence that registration has occurred, and the ZooBank registration states both the name of an electronic archive intended to preserve the work and the ISSN or ISBN associated with the work.{{cite journal |author=International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature |year=2012 |title=Amendment of Articles 8, 9, 10, 21 and 78 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature to expand and refine methods of publication |journal= Zootaxa |volume=3450 |pages=1–7 |url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2012/f/zt03450p007.pdf|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.3450.1.1 }}{{cite journal |author=Zhi-Qiang Zhang |year=2012 |title=A new era in zoological nomenclature and taxonomy: ICZN accepts e-publication and launches ZooBank |journal= Zootaxa |volume=3450 |page=8 |url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2012/f/zt03450p008.pdf|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.3450.1.2 }} New scientific names appearing in electronic works are not required to be registered in ZooBank, only the works themselves are. Works containing descriptions of some of the taxa listed below were not printed on paper in 2012; however, the taxa that were described in works which were registered in ZooBank in 2012 are listed as valid.
Plants
{{main|2012 in paleobotany}}
Arthropods
{{main|2012 in arthropod paleontology}}
The following is a summary of the arthropods described in 2012
- 41 arachnids
- 105 crustaceans
- 362 insects
- 5 merostomatans
- 51 trilobites
- 9 other arthropods
Bryozoans
Brachiopods
Molluscs
{{main|2012 in molluscan paleontology}}
The following is a summary of the Molluscs described in 2012
- 54 ammonites
- 14 other cephalopods
- 52 gastropods
- 15 other molluscs
Echinoderms
Ascidians
| class="wikitable sortable" align="center" width="100%" |
| Name
! Novelty ! Status ! Authors ! Age ! Unit ! Location ! Notes ! Images |
|---|
| Burykhia{{Cite journal|author1=M. A. Fedonkin |author2=P. Vickers-Rich |author3=B. J. Swalla |author4=P. Trusler |author5=M. Hall |year=2012 |title=A new metazoan from the Vendian of the White Sea, Russia, with possible affinities to the ascidians |journal=Paleontological Journal |volume=46 |issue=1 |pages=1–11 |doi=10.1134/S0031030112010042 |bibcode=2012PalJ...46....1F |s2cid=128415270 }}
| Gen. et sp. | Valid | Fedonkin et al. | | Verkhovka Formation or Ust-Pinega Formation | {{Flag|Russia}} | An ausiid, a possible ascidian, Its type species is Burykhia hunti. |
Conodonts
Fishes
{{main|2012 in fish paleontology}}
During 2012, 81 new species of fish were described.
Amphibians
=Research=
- A study of the braincase of Eocaecilia micropodia and a phylogenetic analysis of non-amniote tetrapods is published by Hillary C. Maddin, Farish A. Jenkins Jr and Jason S. Anderson (2012).{{cite journal |author1=Hillary C. Maddin |author2=Farish A. Jenkins Jr |author3=Jason S. Anderson |year=2012 |title=The Braincase of Eocaecilia micropodia (Lissamphibia, Gymnophiona) and the Origin of Caecilians |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=7 |issue=12 |pages=e50743 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0050743 |pmid=23227204 |pmc=3515621|bibcode=2012PLoSO...750743M |doi-access=free }}
- A study of anatomy and relationships of Solenodonsaurus janenschi is published by Marylène Danto, Florian Witzmann and Johannes Müller (2012).{{cite journal |author1=Marylène Danto |author2=Florian Witzmann |author3=Johannes Müller |year=2012 |title=Redescription and phylogenetic relationships of Solenodonsaurus janenschi Broili, 1924, from the Late Carboniferous of Nýřany, Czech Republic |journal=Fossil Record |volume=15 |issue=2 |pages=45–59 |doi=10.1002/mmng.201200003 |doi-access=free }}
- A study of limb joint mobility of Ichthyostega is published by Stephanie E. Pierce, Jennifer A. Clack and John R. Hutchinson (2012).{{cite journal |author1=Stephanie E. Pierce |author2=Jennifer A. Clack |author3=John R. Hutchinson |year=2012 |title=Three-dimensional limb joint mobility in the early tetrapod Ichthyostega |journal=Nature |volume=486 |issue=7404 |pages=523–526 |doi=10.1038/nature11124 |pmid=22722854|bibcode=2012Natur.486..523P |s2cid=3127857 |url=https://rvc-repository.worktribe.com/preview/1642603/The%20Laryngoscope%20-%202023%20-%20Kirsch.pdf }}
=New taxa=
==Newly named basal tetrapods==
| class="wikitable sortable" align="center" width="100%" |
| Name
! Novelty ! Status ! Authors ! Age ! Unit ! Location ! Notes ! Images |
|---|
| Ymeria{{cite journal |last=Clack |first=J.A. |author2=Ahlberg, P.E. |author3=Blom, H. |author4=Finney, S.M. |year=2012 |title=A new genus of Devonian tetrapod from North-East Greenland, with new information on the lower jaw of Ichthyostega |journal=Palaeontology |volume=55 |issue=1 |pages=73–86 |doi=10.1111/j.1475-4983.2011.01117.x |bibcode=2012Palgy..55...73C |doi-access=free }}
| Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Clack, Ahlberg, Blom & Finney | Famennian | | {{Flag|Greenland}} | A stem tetrapod closely related to Ichthyostega. | |
==Newly named temnospondyls==
==Newly named lepospondyls==
| class="wikitable sortable" align="center" width="100%" |
| Name
! Novelty ! Status ! Authors ! Age ! Unit ! Location ! Notes ! Images |
|---|
| Altenglanerpeton{{cite journal |last=Glienke |first=S. |year=2012 |title=A new "microsaur" (Amphibia; Lepospondyli) from the Rotliegend of the Saar–Palatinate region (Carboniferous/Permian transition; West Germany) |journal=Paläontologische Zeitschrift |volume=86 |issue=3 |pages=297–311 |doi=10.1007/s12542-012-0130-8 |bibcode=2012PalZ...86..297G |s2cid=140699792 }}
| Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Glienke | Gzhelian or Asselian | | {{Flag|Germany}} | A microsaur with an elongated body. | |
==Newly named lissamphibians==
Parareptiles
=Newly named parareptiles=
Ichthyopterygians
=Newly named ichthyosaurs=
Lepidosauromorphs
=Newly named saurosphargids=
=Newly named sauropterygians=
=Newly named rhynchocephalians=
=Squamates=
==Research==
- A large phylogenetic analysis of living and fossil squamates is published by Jacques A. Gauthier et al. (2012).{{cite journal |author1=Jacques A. Gauthier |author2=Maureen Kearney |author3=Jessica Anderson Maisano |author4=Olivier Rieppel |author5=Adam D.B. Behlke |title=Assembling the Squamate Tree of Life: Perspectives from the Phenotype and the Fossil Record |journal=Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History |volume=53 |issue=1 |pages=3–308 |year=2012 |doi=10.3374/014.053.0101 |s2cid=86355757 }}
- A study of squamate diversity in North America during the latest Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) and the impact of Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event on the diversity of the group is published by Nicholas R. Longrich, Bhart-Anjan S. Bhullar and Jacques A. Gauthier (2012).{{Cite journal|author1=Nicholas R. Longrich |author2=Bhart-Anjan S. Bhullar |author3=Jacques A. Gauthier |year=2012 |title=Mass extinction of lizards and snakes at the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=109 |issue=52 |pages=21396–21401 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1211526110 |pmid=23236177 |pmc=3535637|bibcode=2012PNAS..10921396L |doi-access=free }}
==New taxa==
Turtles
=Research=
- A large phylogenetic analysis of basal turtles is published by Jérémy Anquetin (2012).{{cite journal |author=Jérémy Anquetin |year=2012 |title=Reassessment of the phylogenetic interrelationships of basal turtles (Testudinata) |journal=Journal of Systematic Palaeontology |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=3–45 |doi=10.1080/14772019.2011.558928 |bibcode=2012JSPal..10....3A |s2cid=85295987 |url=http://osf.io/dt6yj/ }}
=New taxa=
Archosauromorphs
=Newly named basal archosauromorphs=
=Archosaurs=
{{main|2012 in archosaur paleontology}}
The following is a summary of the archosaurs described in 2012
- 8 pseudosuchians
- 1 basal dinosauriform
- 40 non-avian dinosaurs
- 64 birds
- 9 pterosaurs
- 1 archosaur of uncertain phylogenetic placement
Synapsids
=Non-mammalian synapsids=
==Research==
- A phylogenetic analysis of basal synapsids is published by Roger B. J. Benson (2012).{{cite journal |author1=Roger B. J. Benson |year=2012 |title=Interrelationships of basal synapsids: cranial and postcranial morphological partitions suggest different topologies |journal=Journal of Systematic Palaeontology |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=601–624 |doi=10.1080/14772019.2011.631042 |bibcode=2012JSPal..10..601B |s2cid=84706899 }}
==New taxa==
=Mammals=
{{main|2012 in mammal paleontology}}
The following is a summary of the mammals described in 2012
- 9 non-eutherian Mammals
- 24 eutherian Mammals