This archosaur paleontology list records new fossil

archosauriform Archosauriformes (Greek for 'ruling lizards', and Latin for 'form') is a clade of diapsid reptiles that developed from archosauromorph ancestors some time in the Latest Permian (roughly 252 million years ago). It was defined by Jacques Gauthier ...

taxa that were described during the year 2016, as well as notes other significant Archosaur paleontology discoveries and events which occurred during the year.

Basal archosauriforms

Basal archosauriform research

* A study on the

resting metabolic rate Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is whole-body mammal (and other vertebrate) metabolism during a time period of strict and steady ''resting conditions'' that are defined by a combination of assumptions of physiological homeostasis and biological equili ...

of 14 taxa of fossil archosauromorph reptiles as indicated by bone histology is published by Legendre ''et al.'' (2016). * A study of the phylogenetic relationships of the archosauriforms traditionally assigned to the family

Euparkeriidae Euparkeriidae is an extinct family of small carnivorous archosauriforms which lived from the Early Triassic to the Middle Triassic (Anisian). While most other early archosauriforms walked on four limbs, euparkeriids were probably facultative ...

is published by Sookias (2016). * A redescription of the braincase and the inner ear of '' Euparkeria capensis'' is published by Sobral ''et al.'' (2016). * A study of the phylogenetic relationships of archosauromorph reptiles, with an emphasis on the phylogenetic relationships of proterosuchids and erythrosuchids, is published by Ezcurra (2016). * A study on the patterns of morphological diversity of the skulls of late Permian to Early Jurassic archosauromorph reptiles is published by Foth ''et al.'' (2016). * A study on the braincase anatomy of the

type specimens In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes t ...

of ''

Pseudochampsa ''Pseudochampsa'' is an extinct genus of proterochampsid archosauriform known from the Late Triassic (Carnian) Cancha de Bochas Member of the Ischigualasto Formation of San Juan Province, Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin in northwestern Arge ...

ischigualastensis'' and ''

Tropidosuchus ''Tropidosuchus'' is an extinct genus of carnivorous archosauriforms from the Middle Triassic period (Anisian to Ladinian stage). It is a proterochampsid which lived in what is now Argentina. It is known from the holotype PVL 4601, which consist ...

romeri'' is published by Trotteyn & Paulina-Carabajal (2016). * A reevaluation of the neotype specimen of ''

Parasuchus ''Parasuchus'' is an extinct genus of basal phytosaur known from the Late Triassic (late Carnian to early Norian stage) of Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, India. At its most restricted definition, ''Parasuchus'' contains a single species, ' ...

hislopi'' and a study of the phylogenetic relationships of the species is published by Kammerer ''et al.'' (2016), who consider the genus ''Parasuchus'' to be a senior synonym of the genera ''

Paleorhinus ''Paleorhinus'' (Greek: ''"Old Nose"'') is an extinct genus of widespread basal (phylogenetics), basal phytosaur known from the Late Triassic (late Carnian stage). The genus was named in 1904 based on the type species ''Paleorhinus bransoni'', wh ...

'' and ''

Arganarhinus ''Arganarhinus'' (meaning "Argana (Morocco) snout") is an extinct genus of phytosaur known from the late Triassic period (geology), period (Middle Carnian stage) of Argana Basin in Morocco. It is known from a skull which is housed at the Muséum ...

'', and refer the species ''Paleorhinus bransoni'' Williston (1904), '' Francosuchus angustifrons'' Kuhn (1936) and ''Paleorhinus magnoculus'' Dutuit (1977) to the genus ''Parasuchus''. * A study on the endocranial anatomy (including the brain, inner ear, neurovascular structures and sinus systems) of ''Parasuchus angustifrons'' and ''

Ebrachosuchus ''Ebrachosuchus'' is an extinct genus of basal phytosaur known from the Late Triassic (late Carnian stage) of Bavaria, southern Germany. It is known only from the holotype BSPG 1931 X 501, a complete skull missing both mandibles. It was collect ...

neukami'' is published by Lautenschlager & Butler (2016).

Pseudosuchians

Research

* A study of the skull anatomy of the

ornithosuchid Ornithosuchidae is an extinct family of pseudosuchian archosaurs (distant relatives of modern crocodilians) from the Triassic period. Ornithosuchids were quadrupedal and facultatively bipedal (e.g. like chimpanzees), meaning that they had the a ...

Riojasuchus ''Riojasuchus'' is an extinct genus of Late Triassic ( Norian) quadrupedal archosaur. ''Riojasuchus'' is a member of Ornithosuchidae, a family of facultatively bipedal carnivores that were geographically widespread during the Late Triassic. Tw ...

tenuisceps'' is published by von Baczko & Desojo (2016). * A restudy of ''

Dasygnathoides ''Dasygnathoides'' is an extinct genus of pseudosuchian from the Late Triassic (Carnian) Lossiemouth Sandstone of Scotland. Classification "''Dasygnathus''" ''longidens'' was erected by Thomas Huxley for a maxilla from the Lossiemouth Sandstone ...

longidens'' and '' Ornithosuchus woodwardi'', rejecting their synonymy, is published by von Baczko & Ezcurra (2016). * A study on the

cranial Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position pro ...

anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of the aetosaur ''

Paratypothorax ''Paratypothorax'' is an extinct genus of aetosaur, known from a single species, ''Paratypothorax andressorum''. It was a broadly distributed member of the group found in Germany, North America, and possibly parts of Gondwana. The best specimen ...

andressorum'' is published by Schoch & Desojo (2016). * New fossil material from the Triassic ( Ladinian or earliest Carnian) Pinheiros-Chiniquá Sequence of the Santa Maria Supersequence in Brazil attributed to the rauisuchian species '' Prestosuchus chiniquensis'' is described by Lacerda ''et al.'' (2016). * A study on the presence, size, shape, and position of the subnarial foramen (an opening located between premaxilla and maxilla) in ''Prestosuchus chiniquensis'' and its implication for archosaurian phylogeny is published by Roberto-da-Silva ''et al.'' (2016). * A redescription of the fossil material assignable to the species ''

Trialestes ''Trialestes'' is an extinct genus of Late Triassic (Carnian) crocodylomorphs that lived in South America. It has been classified as a dinosaur in the past due it being adapted as a terrestrial, running carnivore. It is classified in Sphenosuchi ...

romeri'' and a study of the phylogenetic relationships of the species is published by Lecuona, Ezcurra & Irmis (2016). * The osteological description of '' Carnufex carolinensis'' and a study of its phylogenetic position is published by Drymala & Zanno (2016). * A study on the changes of crocodyliform biodiversity through the Jurassic/ Cretaceous transition and on probable causes of the decline of some crocodyliform lineages at this time is published by Tennant, Mannion & Upchurch (2016). * Description of postcranial skeletons of three specimens of the

sphagesaurid Sphagesauridae is a Gondwanan family of mesoeucrocodylians that lived during the Late Cretaceous. It was a clade of terrestrial crocodilians that evolved very mammal-like teeth and jaws.MARINHO, T.S. & CARVALHO, I.S. Revision of the Sphagesaurida ...

Caipirasuchus ''Caipirasuchus'' is an extinct genus of sphagesaurid notosuchians known from the Late Cretaceous of northern São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil. The type species, ''C. paulistanus'', was named in 2011. A second species, ''C. montealtensis' ...

'' (representing ''Caipirasuchus montealtensis'', ''Caipirasuchus paulistanus'' and ''Caipirasuchus'' sp.) is published by Iori, Carvalho & Marinho (2016). * Description of the postcranial elements of the skeleton of '' Pissarrachampsa sera'' is published by Godoy ''et al.'' (2016). * Description of new cranial remains of '' Pholidosaurus purbeckensis'' from the Early Cretaceous (

Berriasian In the geological timescale, the Berriasian is an age/stage of the Early/Lower Cretaceous. It is the oldest subdivision in the entire Cretaceous. It has been taken to span the time between 145.0 ± 4.0 Ma and 139.8 ± 3.0 Ma (million years ago) ...

) of France and a study of phylogenetic relationships of the species is published by Martin, Raslan-Loubatié & Mazin (2016). * Fossils of the dyrosaurid

crocodylomorph Crocodylomorpha is a group of pseudosuchian archosaurs that includes the crocodilians and their extinct relatives. They were the only members of Pseudosuchia to survive the end-Triassic extinction. During Mesozoic and early Cenozoic times, cro ...

'' Hyposaurus'' are described from the Late Cretaceous

Shendi Formation The Shendi Formation is a Late Cretaceous geologic formation of the Atbara-Shendi Basin in northern Sudan.Eltayib et al., 2018, p.2 Indeterminate theropod remains have been recovered from it.Weishampel, et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution" Pp. ...

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

by Salih ''et al.'' (2016). * A description of the endocranial anatomy of '' Steneosaurus'' is published by Brusatte ''et al.'' (2016). * A study on the body proportions and body size of teleosaurids is published by Young ''et al.'' (2016). * Fossils of teleosauroid thalattosuchians, including a close relative of '' Lemmysuchus'' and ''

Machimosaurus ''Machimosaurus'' is an extinct genus of machimosaurid crocodyliform from the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian and Tithonian) and Early Cretaceous. The type species, ''Machimosaurus hugii'', was found in Switzerland. Other fossils have been found ...

'', are described from the

Middle Jurassic The Middle Jurassic is the second epoch of the Jurassic Period. It lasted from about 174.1 to 163.5 million years ago. Fossils of land-dwelling animals, such as dinosaurs, from the Middle Jurassic are relatively rare, but geological formations co ...

( Bathonian) of Morocco by Jouve ''et al.'' (2016), who name a new tribe

Machimosaurini Machimosauridae is an extinct family of teleosauroid thalattosuchian crocodyliforms. Text was copied from this source, which is available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License The family was first identified in 2016, wh ...

. * A redescription of the holotype specimen of the

metriorhynchid Metriorhynchidae is an extinct family of specialized, aquatic metriorhynchoid crocodyliforms from the Middle Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous period (Bajocian to early Aptian) of Europe, North America and South America. The name Metriorhynchidae ...

species ''"Plesiosaurus" mexicanus'' Wieland (1910) is published by Barrientos-Lara ''et al.'' (2016), who transfer the species to the genus ''

Torvoneustes ''Torvoneustes'' is an extinct genus of metriorhynchid thalattosuchian. It is known from skull and postcranial remains found in the Kimmeridge Clay Formation of Dorset and Wiltshire, England, and also from Oaxaca, Mexico . The holotype skull o ...

''. * New

goniopholidid Goniopholididae is an extinct family of moderate-sized semi-aquatic neosuchian crocodyliformes. Their bodyplan and morphology are convergent on living crocodilians. They lived across Laurasia (Asia, Europe and North America) between the Middle Ju ...

specimen belonging or related to the species ''

Goniopholis ''Goniopholis'' (meaning "angled scale") is an extinct genus of goniopholidid crocodyliform that lived in Europe and Africa during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. Being semi-aquatic it is very similar to modern crocodiles. It ranged from ...

lucasii'' / '' Amphicotylus lucasii'', representing a single individual rather than a composite of unassociated elements, is described from the

Upper Jurassic The Late Jurassic is the third epoch of the Jurassic Period, and it spans the geologic time from 163.5 ± 1.0 to 145.0 ± 0.8 million years ago (Ma), which is preserved in Upper Jurassic strata.Owen 1987. In European lithostratigraphy, the name ...

Morrison Formation The Morrison Formation is a distinctive sequence of Late Jurassic, Upper Jurassic sedimentary rock found in the western United States which has been the most fertile source of dinosaur fossils in North America. It is composed of mudstone, sandsto ...

( Wyoming, United States) by

Erickson Erickson may refer to: Places ;Canada *Erickson, Manitoba, a town *Erickson, British Columbia an unincorporated area ;United States * Erickson Corner, Connecticut, an unincorporated community * Erickson Landing, Michigan, an unincorporated communit ...

(2016). * A Middle Jurassic dentary from the Isle of

Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye (; gd, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or ; sco, Isle o Skye), is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated b ...

, Scotland, United Kingdom, referred to '' Theriosuchus'' sp., is described by Young ''et al.'' (2016). * A histological study of a specimen of ''

Susisuchus ''Susisuchus'' is an extinct genus of neosuchian mesoeucrocodylian crocodyliform from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil. Fossils have been found from the Nova Olinda Member of the Aptian-age Crato Formation in the Araripe and Lima Campos Basins ...

anatoceps'' is published by Sayão ''et al.'' (2016). * New fossil material of '' Allodaposuchus precedens'' is described from the Late Cretaceous of France by Martin ''et al.'' (2016). * Fossil mekosuchine vertebrae, tentatively assigned to '' Mekosuchus whitehunterensis'', are described from Riversleigh (Australia) by Stein, Archer & Hand (2016), who interpret them as confirming that even adult specimens of this species were smaller in snout-vent length than adults of extant small crocodilian species belonging to the genera ''

Paleosuchus ''Paleosuchus'' is a South American genus of reptiles in the subfamily Caimaninae of the family (biology), family Alligatoridae. They are the smallest members of the order Crocodilia in the Americas. The genus contains two extant species and a ye ...

'' and ''

Osteolaemus ''Osteolaemus'' is a genus of crocodiles. They are small, secretive crocodiles that occur in wetlands of West and Middle Africa. They are commonly known as the African dwarf crocodiles. Unlike other crocodiles, ''Osteolaemus'' are strictly noctur ...

'', and indicating that this species employed feeding behaviours that were unusual for crocodilians. * Partial skeleton of the

Chinese alligator The Chinese alligator (; ), also known as the Yangtze alligator (), China alligator, or historically the muddy dragon, is a crocodilian endemic to China. It and the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') are the only living species in the ...

is described from the late Pliocene of western Japan by Iijima, Takahashi & Kobayashi (2016). * A study on the

osteology Osteology () is the scientific study of bones, practised by osteologists. A subdiscipline of anatomy, anthropology, and paleontology, osteology is the detailed study of the structure of bones, skeletal elements, teeth, microbone morphology, funct ...

of alligator fossils from the late Miocene Moss Acres Racetrack locality in Marion County, Florida and the phylogenetic placement of the alligators these fossils belonged to within the genus ''Alligator'' is published by Whiting, Steadman & Vliet (2016). * New information on the anatomy of '' Globidentosuchus brachyrostris'' and ''

Centenariosuchus ''Centenariosuchus'' is an extinct genus of caimanine crocodylian known from the Miocene of the Panama Canal Zone of Panama.Chañares Formation, containing fossils of non-dinosaurian

dinosauromorphs Dinosauromorpha is a clade of avemetatarsalian archosaurs (reptiles closer to birds than to crocodilians) that includes the Dinosauria (dinosaurs) and some of their close relatives. It was originally defined to include dinosauriforms and lager ...

'' Lagerpeton'', ''

Lewisuchus ''Lewisuchus'' is a genus of archosaur that lived during the Late Triassic (early Carnian). As a silesaurid dinosauriform, it was a member of the group of reptiles most commonly considered to be the closest relatives of dinosaurs (possibly tr ...

'', '' Marasuchus'' and ''

Pseudolagosuchus ''Lewisuchus'' is a genus of archosaur that lived during the Late Triassic (early Carnian). As a silesaurid dinosauriform, it was a member of the group of reptiles most commonly considered to be the closest relatives of dinosaurs (possibly tr ...

'', to early Carnian (236–234 Ma), 5–10 million years younger than previously thought. On this basis the authors postulate that the origin of dinosaurs was a relatively rapid event, as the transition from vertebrate communities containing only non-dinosaurian dinosauromorphs to communities containing the first dinosaurs occurred in less than a 5-million year interval. * A study on the ontogeny of the femur and the histology of

long bone The long bones are those that are longer than they are wide. They are one of five types of bones: long, Short bone, short, Flat bone, flat, Irregular bone, irregular and Sesamoid bone, sesamoid. Long bones, especially the femur and tibia, are subj ...

s of the silesaurid '' Asilisaurus kongwe'' is published by Griffin & Nesbitt (2016). *

Basal Basal or basilar is a term meaning ''base'', ''bottom'', or ''minimum''. Science * Basal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location for features associated with the base of an organism or structure * Basal (medicine), a minimal level that is nec ...

dinosauromorph fossils including fossils of both ''

Dromomeron ''Dromomeron'' (meaning "running femur") is a genus of lagerpetid avemetatarsalian which lived around 220 to 211.9 ± 0.7 million years ago. The genus contains species known from Late Triassic-age rocks of the Southwestern United States and nort ...

romeri'' and ''D. gregorii'', as well as a

dinosauriform Dinosauromorpha is a clade of avemetatarsalian archosaurs (reptiles closer to birds than to crocodilians) that includes the Dinosauria (dinosaurs) and some of their close relatives. It was originally defined to include dinosauriforms and lager ...

fibula resembling the fibula of ''Marasuchus lilloensis'' but with much larger size, are described from the Late Triassic Dockum Group of Texas, USA by Sarıgül (2016).

New taxa

Non-avian dinosaurs

Research

* An assessment of methods used to the determine the ontogenetic status of non-avian dinosaur specimens is published by Hone, Farke &

Wedel Wedel is a town in the district of Pinneberg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, approximately south of Elmshorn, and west of Hamburg. History Foundation and Middle Ages The first known mention of ...

(2016). * A study of the evolutionary dynamics of

speciation Speciation is the evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species. The biologist Orator F. Cook coined the term in 1906 for cladogenesis, the splitting of lineages, as opposed to anagenesis, phyletic evolution within ...

and extinction through time in Mesozoic dinosaurs is published by Sakamoto,

Benton Benton may refer to: Places Canada *Benton, a local service district south of Woodstock, New Brunswick *Benton, Newfoundland and Labrador United Kingdom * Benton, Devon, near Bratton Fleming * Benton, Tyne and Wear United States *Benton, Alabam ...

& Venditti (2016). * A study on the dinosaur metabolism, re-evaluating earlier studies of Werner & Griebeler (2014) and Grady ''et al.'' (2014), is published by Myhrvold (2016). * A study on the morphological similarities of the skulls of '' Plateosaurus engelhardti'', '' Stegosaurus stenops'' and ''

Erlikosaurus ''Erlikosaurus'' (meaning "Erlik's lizard") is a genus of therizinosaurid that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous period. The fossils, a skull and some post-cranial fragments, were found in the Bayan Shireh Formation of Mongolia in 1972, da ...

andrewsi'', their feeding mechanics and behaviour is published by Lautenschlager ''et al.'' (2016). * A study testing for a correlation between the presence of bony

ornaments and large body size in non-avian theropod dinosaurs is published by Gates, Organ & Zanno (2016). * A description of theropod teeth from the Late Jurassic of Northern Germany and a study of their phylogenetic relationships is published by Gerke & Wings (2016). * A study on the tooth attachment tissues in '' Coelophysis bauri'' is published by Fong ''et al.'' (2016). * A study on the variation in morphological changes during ontogeny among members of the same species in early dinosaurs ''Coelophysis bauri'' and ''Megapnosaurus rhodesiensis'' as compared to the variation among living birds and crocodilians is published by Griffin & Nesbitt (2016). * Senter & Juengst (2016) identify pathological features in eight pectoral girdle and forelimb bones of the holotype specimen of '' Dilophosaurus wetherilli''. * A study of

and phylogenetic relationships of ''

Elaphrosaurus ''Elaphrosaurus'' ( ) is a genus of ceratosaurian theropod dinosaur that lived approximately 154 to 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic Period in what is now Tanzania in Africa. ''Elaphrosaurus'' was a medium-sized but lightly built m ...

bambergi'' is published by Rauhut & Carrano (2016). * A new specimen of '' Velocisaurus unicus'' is described by Brissón Egli, Agnolín & Novas (2016). * Footprints attributed to large

megalosaurid Megalosauridae is a monophyletic family of carnivorous theropod dinosaurs within the group Megalosauroidea. Appearing in the Middle Jurassic, megalosaurids were among the first major radiation of large theropod dinosaurs. They were a relative ...

theropods are described from the Middle Jurassic ( Bathonian) Serra de Aire Formation ( Portugal) by Razzolini ''et al.'' (2016), who interpret the tracks as left by dinosaurs crossing the tidal flat during low tide periods. * A study on the validity of the theropod genus ''

Altispinax ''Altispinax'' (; "with high spines") is a genus of large predatory theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous period (Valanginian, 140 to 133 million years ago) of what is now the Wadhurst Clay Formation of East Sussex, England. History Pro ...

'' is published by Maisch (2016). * Six isolated

spinosaurid The Spinosauridae (or spinosaurids) are a clade or family of tetanuran theropod dinosaurs comprising ten to seventeen known genera. They came into prominence during the Cretaceous period. Spinosaurid fossils have been recovered worldwide, includi ...

quadrates, most likely coming from the Kem Kem Beds, are described by Hendrickx, Mateus & Buffetaut (2016), who interpret the differences in their anatomy as confirming the presence of two

spinosaurine The Spinosauridae (or spinosaurids) are a clade or family of tetanuran theropod dinosaurs comprising ten to seventeen known genera. They came into prominence during the Cretaceous period. Spinosaurid fossils have been recovered worldwide, inclu ...

taxa in the

Cenomanian The Cenomanian is, in the ICS' geological timescale, the oldest or earliest age of the Late Cretaceous Epoch or the lowest stage of the Upper Cretaceous Series. An age is a unit of geochronology; it is a unit of time; the stage is a unit in the s ...

of North Africa, rather than only one ('' Spinosaurus aegyptiacus''). * The description of a new large abelisaurid femur ( Dinosauria:

Theropoda Theropoda (; ), whose members are known as theropods, is a dinosaur clade that is characterized by hollow bones and three toes and claws on each limb. Theropods are generally classed as a group of saurischian dinosaurs. They were ancestrally ca ...

) from the Kem Kem Beds, b
Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza & Andrea Cau (2016)
demonstrates the presence of large bodied individuals of this clade sympatric with other giant theropod dinosaurs from this area. This study includes also an overview on the

(Late Cretaceous) theropod assemblage from Morocco. * Fossils of a large Early Cretaceous ( Albian)

megaraptorid Megaraptora is a clade of carnivorous tetanuran theropod dinosaurs with controversial relations to other theropods. Its derived members, the Megaraptoridae are noted for their elongated hand claws and proportionally large arms, which are usually ...

theropod are described from the Griman Creek Formation ( New South Wales,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

) by Bell ''et al.'' (2016), who consider the theropod to be the largest predatory dinosaur yet identified from Australia. * A study on the

manual Manual may refer to: Instructions * User guide * Owner's manual * Instruction manual (gaming) * Online help Other uses * Manual (music), a keyboard, as for an organ * Manual (band) * Manual transmission * Manual, a bicycle technique similar to ...

anatomy of '' Megaraptor'' and '' Australovenator'', as well as its implications for the phylogenetic relationships of these taxa, is published by Novas, Aranciaga Rolando & Agnolín (2016). * A study of the phylogenetic relationships of tyrannosauroid theropods is published by Brusatte and Carr (2016). *

Medullary bone The medullary cavity (''medulla'', innermost part) is the central cavity of bone shafts where red bone marrow and/or yellow bone marrow (adipose tissue) is stored; hence, the medullary cavity is also known as the marrow cavity. Located in the ma ...

homologous Homology may refer to: Sciences Biology *Homology (biology), any characteristic of biological organisms that is derived from a common ancestor *Sequence homology, biological homology between DNA, RNA, or protein sequences * Homologous chrom ...

with one present in living birds is identified in a specimen of '' Tyrannosaurus rex'' by Schweitzer ''et al.'' (2016). * Three fossil feathers from the Crato Member of the Early Cretaceous Santana Formation ( Brazil) are described by Prado ''et al.'' (2016), who attribute them to coelurosaurian theropods of uncertain phylogenetic placement. * Feathered tail of a theropod dinosaur, probably of a juvenile non-avian coelurosaur, preserved in Cretaceous ( Albian-

) Burmese amber is described by Xing ''et al.'' (2016) * A study of the effectiveness of proposed pathways for the evolution of the flight stroke in non-avian coelurosaurian theropods and early birds using biomechanical mathematical models is published by Dececchi, Larsson & Habib (2016). * A detailed description of the morphology of the mandible and teeth of '' Segnosaurus galbinensis'' is published by Zanno ''et al.'' (2016). * The first known oviraptorosaur ('' Avimimus'')

bone bed A bone bed is any geological stratum or deposit that contains bones of whatever kind. Inevitably, such deposits are sedimentary in nature. Not a formal term, it tends to be used more to describe especially dense collections such as Lagerstätte. ...

is described from the Nemegt Formation ( Mongolia) by Funston ''et al.'' (2016). * New specimens of '' Elmisaurus rarus'' are described from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia by Currie, Funston & Osmólska (2016). * New specimens of ''

Leptorhynchos The genus ''Leptorhynchos'' may refer to: * ''Leptorhynchos'' (dinosaur), a dinosaur genus in the family Caenagnathidae * ''Leptorhynchos'' (plant), a plant genus in the family Asteraceae {{Genus disambiguation ...

elegans'' and ''Leptorhynchos'' sp. are described from the Late Cretaceous of Canada by Funston, Currie & Burns (2016). * A study on the micro- and

ultrastructure Ultrastructure (or ultra-structure) is the architecture of cells and biomaterials that is visible at higher magnifications than found on a standard optical light microscope. This traditionally meant the resolution and magnification range of a co ...

of the fossil claw sheath of a specimen of ''

Citipati ''Citipati'' (; meaning "funeral pyre lord") is a genus of oviraptorid dinosaur that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous period, about 75 million to 71 million years ago. It is mainly known from the Ukhaa Tolgod locality at the Djadokhta F ...

osmolskae'', indicating the preservation of original keratinous claw material, is published by Moyer, Zheng & Schweitzer (2016). * A study of the morphological disparity of teeth of maniraptoran theropods living during the last 18 million years of the Cretaceous is published by Larson, Brown and Evans (2016). * A robust

ilium Ilium or Ileum may refer to: Places and jurisdictions * Ilion (Asia Minor), former name of Troy * Ilium (Epirus), an ancient city in Epirus, Greece * Ilium, ancient name of Cestria (Epirus), an ancient city in Epirus, Greece * Ilium Building, a ...

of a

basal Basal or basilar is a term meaning ''base'', ''bottom'', or ''minimum''. Science * Basal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location for features associated with the base of an organism or structure * Basal (medicine), a minimal level that is nec ...

sauropodomorph dinosaur is described from the Elliot Formation ( South Africa) by McPhee & Choiniere (2016). * A new complete femur assigned to '' Pampadromaeus barberenai'' is described by Müller ''et al.'' (2016). * A study on the jaw adductor musculature and bite forces in '' Plateosaurus'' and ''

Camarasaurus ''Camarasaurus'' ( ) was a genus of quadrupedal, herbivorous dinosaurs and is the most common North American sauropod fossil. Its fossil remains have been found in the Morrison Formation, dating to the Late Jurassic epoch (Kimmeridgian to Titho ...

'' is published by Button, Barrett & Rayfield (2016). * A study of the evolution of whole-body shape and body segment properties of

sauropod Sauropoda (), whose members are known as sauropods (; from '' sauro-'' + '' -pod'', 'lizard-footed'), is a clade of saurischian ('lizard-hipped') dinosaurs. Sauropods had very long necks, long tails, small heads (relative to the rest of their bo ...

dinosaurs is published by Bates ''et al.'' (2016). * A study on the intervertebral joints in the necks and tails of sauropod dinosaurs, characterized by having the convex articular face directed away from the body and the concave articular face directed toward the body, is published by Fronimos,

Wilson Wilson may refer to: People * Wilson (name) ** List of people with given name Wilson ** List of people with surname Wilson * Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender * Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson Ro ...

& Baumiller (2016), who argue that these joints evolved to prevent possible joint failure caused by rotation, providing stability with greater mobility and facilitating the evolution of elongated necks and tails in sauropods. * A restudy of ''

Sanpasaurus ''Sanpasaurus'' ("Sanpa lizard") is a poorly known sauropod dinosaur from the Early to Late Jurassic of Sichuan, China. The type species, ''S. yaoi'', was described by Chung Chien Young, in 1944. The type remains, IVPP V.156, consists of 20 ve ...

yaoi'', originally classified as an

ornithopod Ornithopoda () is a clade of ornithischian dinosaurs, called ornithopods (), that started out as small, bipedal running grazers and grew in size and numbers until they became one of the most successful groups of herbivores in the Cretaceous world ...

dinosaur, is published by McPhee ''et al.'' (2016), who consider this species to be an early sauropod instead. * Description of several sauropod vertebrae collected from the

Early Cretaceous The Early Cretaceous ( geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphic name), is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 145 Ma to 100.5 Ma. Geology Pro ...

Kirkwood Formation ( South Africa) and a study on the diversity of the sauropods known from the Kirkwood Formation is published by McPhee ''et al.'' (2016). * Gallina (2016) argues that '' Amargatitanis macni'', initially considered to be a titanosaur, is actually a dicraeosaurid. * A reassessment of the systematics, paleoenvironment, life history and geologic age of ''

Sonorasaurus ''Sonorasaurus'' is a genus of Brachiosauridae, brachiosaurid dinosaur from the Early to Late Cretaceous (Albian to Cenomanian faunal stage, stages, around 112 to 93 Mya (unit), million years ago). It was a Herbivore, herbivorous sauropod wh ...

thompsoni'' is published by D’Emic, Foreman & Jud (2016). * A study on divergence dates and ancestral ranges of Titanosauria is published by Gorscak & O‘Connor (2016). * Osteoma and hemangioma are documented for the first time in a vertebra of a titanosaur

from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil by de Souza Barbosa ''et al.'' (2016). * Sauropod fossils, including a caudal vertebra attributed to a large-bodied lithostrotian titanosaur, are reported from the Cretaceous Kem Kem Beds ( Morocco) by Ibrahim ''et al.'' (2016). * A study on the anatomy of the appendicular skeleton of ''

Dreadnoughtus ''Dreadnoughtus'' is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur containing a single species, ''Dreadnoughtus schrani''. ''D. schrani'' is known from two partial skeletons discovered in Upper Cretaceous (Campanian to Maastrichtian; approximately ...

schrani'' is published by Ullmann & Lacovara (2016). * A study of the skull anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of ''

Tapuiasaurus ''Tapuiasaurus'' (meaning " Tapuia lizard") is a genus of titanosaur which lived during the Lower Cretaceous period (Aptian age) in what is now Minas Gerais, Brazil. Its fossils, including a partial skeleton with a nearly complete skull, ha ...

macedoi'' is published by

''et al.'' (2016). * A juvenile specimen of '' Rapetosaurus krausei'' is described by Curry Rogers ''et al.'' (2016). * Well-vascularised endosteally formed bone tissue is reported in the saltasaurine titanosaurs by Chinsamy, Cerda &

Powell Powell may refer to: People * Powell (surname) * Powell (given name) * Powell baronets, several baronetcies *Colonel Powell (disambiguation), several military officers *General Powell (disambiguation), several military leaders *Governor Powell (di ...

(2016), who argue that additional evidence is required to determine whether vascularised endosteal bone tissues reported in extinct archosaurs are

medullary bone The medullary cavity (''medulla'', innermost part) is the central cavity of bone shafts where red bone marrow and/or yellow bone marrow (adipose tissue) is stored; hence, the medullary cavity is also known as the marrow cavity. Located in the ma ...

or just a pathological bone. * A study on the effect of jaw shape and jaw adductor musculature on the relative bite force in members of 52

ornithischia Ornithischia () is an extinct order of mainly herbivorous dinosaurs characterized by a pelvic structure superficially similar to that of birds. The name ''Ornithischia'', or "bird-hipped", reflects this similarity and is derived from the Greek s ...

n genera is published by Nabavizadeh (2016). * A study on the anatomical diversity of the predentary in ornithischian dinosaurs is published by Nabavizadeh & Weishampel (2016). *

Heterodontosaurid Heterodontosauridae is a family of ornithischian dinosaurs that were likely among the most basal (primitive) members of the group. Their phylogenetic placement is uncertain but they are most commonly found to be primitive, outside of the group ...

metatarsi,

phalanges The phalanges (singular: ''phalanx'' ) are digital bones in the hands and feet of most vertebrates. In primates, the thumbs and big toes have two phalanges while the other digits have three phalanges. The phalanges are classed as long bones. ...

and tail vertebrae are described from the Early Jurassic (late Toarcian) Cañadon Asfalto Formation ( Argentina) by Becerra ''et al.'' (2016), who note the similarities in anatomy of the digits of this heterodontosaurid and the digits of arboreal birds and argue that the heterodontosaurid might have had grasping feet with long digits. * New specimens of '' Lesothosaurus diagnosticus'' are described by Barrett ''et al.'' (2016). * A description of the braincase anatomy of ''

Pawpawsaurus ''Pawpawsaurus'', meaning "Pawpaw Lizard", is a nodosaurid ankylosaur from the Cretaceous (late Albian) of Tarrant County, Texas, discovered in May 1992. The only species yet assigned to this taxon, ''Pawpawsaurus campbelli,'' is based on a comp ...

campbelli'' based on CT scans is published by Paulina-Carabajal, Lee & Jacobs (2016). * A new specimen of ''

Haya griva ''Haya'' is an extinct genus of basal neornithischian dinosaur known from Mongolia. Description ''Haya'' is known from several well-preserved specimens which collected in the Khugenetslavkant locality by the joint Mongolian Academy of Sciences ...

'' is described from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia by Norell & Barta (2016). * A reassessment of the holotype locality of '' Leaellynasaura amicagraphica'' is published by Herne, Tait & Salisbury (2016), who argue that several fossils traditionally referred to ''L. amicagraphica'' cannot be confidently attributed to this species. * A study on the evolution of the teeth morphologies of the

dinosaurs is published by Strickson ''et al.'' (2016), who argue that major increases of rates of dental character evolution among ornithopods did not correspond to times of plant diversification, including the radiation of the flowering plants. * Fossils of a diminutive

dinosaur, probably a member of

Rhabdodontidae Rhabdodontidae is a family of herbivorous iguanodontian ornithopod dinosaurs whose earliest stem members appeared in the middle of the Lower Cretaceous. The oldest dated fossils of these stem members were found in the Barremian Castrillo de la R ...

, are described from the upper Barremian-lower

Aptian The Aptian is an age in the geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early or Lower Cretaceous Epoch or Series and encompasses the time from 121.4 ± 1.0 Ma to 113.0 ± 1.0 Ma (million years ago), a ...

Castrillo de la Reina Formation The Castrillo de la Reina Formation is a geological formation in Spain. It is late Barremian to early Aptian in age. It interpreted as a fluvial deposit. It primarily consists of red clay, with ribbon shaped sandstone channel fills. The rebbachisau ...

( Cameros Basin, Spain) by Dieudonné ''et al.'' (2016). * A new specimen of ''

Valdosaurus ''Valdosaurus'' ("Weald Lizard") is a genus of bipedal herbivorous iguanodont ornithopod dinosaur found on the Isle of Wight and elsewhere in England, Spain and possibly also Romania. It lived during the Early Cretaceous. Discovery and naming I ...

canaliculatus'', the most complete yet found, is described by Barrett (2016). * Tibia and tail vertebrae of iguanodontian dinosaurs are described from the

Cleaver Bank The Cleaver Bank (Dutch: ''Klaverbank)'' is a sandbank in the North Sea about off the west coast of the Netherlands and south of the Dogger Bank. The size of the bank is about 1235 km2. The bank is 30-40 metres below sea level. The Cleaver Bank ...

( North Sea) by Mulder & Fraaije (2016). * Isolated teeth of large-bodied iguanodontians are described from the Early Cretaceous ( Albian) of Tunisia by Fanti ''et al.'' (2016). * Parallel trackways of medium-sized and robust

s similar to ''

Draconyx ''Draconyx'' (meaning "dragon claw") is a genus of dinosaur from the Late Jurassic. It was an ornithopod which lived in what is now Portugal and was a herbivore. It was found in the Lourinhã Formation in 1991, and described by Octávio Mateus ...

'' or '' Cumnoria'', providing evidence of gregarious behavior, are described from the Late Jurassic of Spain by Piñuela ''et al.'' (2016). * A mandible of '' Telmatosaurus transsylvanicus'' exhibiting ameloblastoma is described from the Late Cretaceous Sînpetru Formation (Hațeg Basin, Romania) by Dumbravă ''et al.'' (2016). * A revision of the original diagnosis of '' Willinakaqe salitralensis'' and of fossil material attributed to this species is published by Cruzado Caballero and Coria (2016), who argue that the fossils attributed to ''Willinakaqe salitralensis'' might represent more than a single taxon of

hadrosaurid Hadrosaurids (), or duck-billed dinosaurs, are members of the ornithischian family Hadrosauridae. This group is known as the duck-billed dinosaurs for the flat duck-bill appearance of the bones in their snouts. The ornithopod family, which inclu ...

and that all characters of the original diagnosis are invalid. * Large

(probably

) tracks, assigned to the ichnogenus '' Hadrosauropodus'', are described from the Maastrichtian- Danian

Yacoraite Formation The Yacoraite Formation is a largely Mesozoic geologic formation. The deposits of this formation mainly date from the Maastrichtian of the Upper Cretaceous, but the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary (K–T boundary) runs right through this formation ...

of Argentina by Díaz-Martínez, de Valais & Cónsole-Gonella (2016). * A hadrosaurid radius and ulna affected by a severe septic arthritis are described from the Late Cretaceous

Navesink Formation The Navesink Formation is a 66 to 70 mya greensand glauconitic marl and sand geological formation in New Jersey. It is known for its Cretaceous period fossil shell beds and dinosaur bones. Description The Navesink Formation, named after Navesin ...

( New Jersey, USA) by Anné, Hedrick & Schein (2016). * A study on the development of the

dental battery Dinosaur teeth have been studied since 1822 when Mary Ann Mantell (1795-1869) and her husband Dr Gideon Algernon Mantell (1790-1852) discovered an ''Iguanodon'' tooth in Sussex in England. Unlike mammal teeth, individual dinosaur teeth are genera ...

of the hadrosaurid dinosaurs through their ontogeny and on the evolution of the hadrosaurid dental battery is published by LeBlanc ''et al.'' (2016). * Chondroid bone (a tissue intermediate between bone and

cartilage Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints as articular cartilage, and is a structural component of many body parts including the rib cage, the neck an ...

) is reported in embryos and nestlings of ''

Hypacrosaurus ''Hypacrosaurus'' (meaning "near the highest lizard" reek υπο-, ''hypo-'' = less + ακρος, ''akros'', high because it was almost but not quite as large as ''Tyrannosaurus'') was a genus of duckbill dinosaur similar in appearance to ''Co ...

'' by Bailleul ''et al.'' (2016). * Restudies of the fossil material attributed to '' Stegoceras novomexicanum'' are published by Williamson & Brusatte (2016) and Jasinski & Sullivan (2016). * A study on the skull anatomy of '' Yinlong downsi'' is published by Han ''et al.'' (2016). * A study of the bristle-like appendages on the tail of '' Psittacosaurus'' is published by Mayr ''et al.'' (2016). * A study on the color patterns of a well-preserved specimen of ''Psittacosaurus'' sp. as indicated by the distribution of organic residues is published by Vinther ''et al.'' (2016). * A study on the dental microwear in '' Leptoceratops gracilis'' is published by Varriale (2016). * A study of the frill bones of '' Protoceratops andrewsi'', indicating that its frill increased in length and width during the ontogeny of the animal and that the growth of the frill was greater than the overall growth of the animal, is published by Hone, Wood & Knell (2016), who interpret these findings as indicating that ''Protoceratops'' most likely used its frill for sexual and social dominance signaling. * Partial skull of a

ceratopsid Ceratopsidae (sometimes spelled Ceratopidae) is a family of ceratopsian dinosaurs including ''Triceratops'', ''Centrosaurus'', and ''Styracosaurus''. All known species were quadrupedal herbivores from the Upper Cretaceous. All but one species are k ...

related to '' Nasutoceratops titusi'' is described from the Late Cretaceous Oldman Formation ( Alberta, Canada) by Ryan ''et al.'' (2016), who also name new ceratopsid tribes Centrosaurini and

Nasutoceratopsini Centrosaurinae (from the Greek, meaning "pointed lizards") is a subfamily of ceratopsid dinosaurs, a group of large quadrupedal ornithischians. Centrosaurine fossil remains are known primarily from the northern region of Laramidia (modern day Al ...

. * A revision of the species assigned to the genus '' Chasmosaurus'' is published by Campbell ''et al.'' (2016). * Forelimb studies show ''Oryctodromeus'' was extremely adapted for an underground lifestyle (2016). * A group of paleontologists discovered the remains of the smallest specimen of ''Pachycephalosaurus'' to date. The specimen also casts doubt on the validity of ''Dracorex'' and ''Stygimoloch'' (2016). * A study was done on the skulls of ''Majungasaurus'' and revealed changes throughout the life cycle of this dinosaur (2016). * A study was conducted on the skeleton of ''Nasutoceratops'', revealing that it and ''Avaceratops'' belonged to a completely new group of centrosaurines (2016).

New taxa

Birds

Research

* A study on the rates of morphological evolution in Early Cretaceous birds is published by Wang and Lloyd (2016). * A study on the microbodies associated with feathers of a new specimen of ''

Eoconfuciusornis ''Eoconfuciusornis'' a genus of extinct avialan that lived 131 Ma ago, in the Early Cretaceous of China. The type species of ''Eoconfuciusornis'', ''Eoconfuciusornis zhengi'', was named and described by Zhang Fucheng, Zhou Zhonghe and Michae ...

'' from the

Huajiying Formation (

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

) and on the matrix in which the microbodies were embedded is published by Pan ''et al.'' (2016), who interpret the microbodies as melanosomes. * Remains of non-

plumage Plumage ( "feather") is a layer of feathers that covers a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage differ between species and subspecies and may vary with age classes. Within species, ...

soft tissues, including scales, toe pads, skin and muscle, are identified in two specimens of '' Confuciusornis'' by Falk ''et al.'' (2016). * A skeleton of an

enantiornithine The Enantiornithes, also known as enantiornithines or enantiornitheans in literature, are a group of extinct avialans ("birds" in the broad sense), the most abundant and diverse group known from the Mesozoic era. Almost all retained teeth and cla ...

bird preserving a gastric pellet that includes fish bones is described from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota of China by Wang, Zhou & Sullivan (2016). * Two partial wings with vestiges of soft tissues, probably belonging to precocial hatchlings of enantiornithine birds, are described from the Late Cretaceous (

) Burmese amber by Xing ''et al.'' (2016). * A revised diagnosis of '' Cerebavis cenomanica'', a study on the braincase anatomy of the species and a study on its phylogenetic relationships is published by Walsh, Milner & Bourdon (2016). * A study on the shape, growth, attachment, implantation, replacement, and tissue microstructures of the teeth of '' Hesperornis'' and '' Ichthyornis'' is published by Dumont ''et al.'' (2016). * A phylogenetic analysis of

Hesperornithiformes Hesperornithes is an extinct and highly specialized group of aquatic avialans closely related to the ancestors of modern birds. They inhabited both marine and freshwater habitats in the Northern Hemisphere, and include genera such as ''Hesperorni ...

is published by Bell &

Chiappe Chiappe is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Luis M. Chiappe, Argentine paleontologist *Jean Chiappe, high-ranking French civil servant *María Luisa Chiappe, Colombian economist, diplomat, civil servant and businesswoman *Sandro ...

(2016). * A specimen of '' Hesperornis'' with a healed wound is described from the Late Cretaceous

Pierre Shale The Pierre Shale is a geologic formation or series in the Upper Cretaceous which occurs east of the Rocky Mountains in the Great Plains, from Pembina Valley in Canada to New Mexico. The Pierre Shale was described by Meek and Hayden in 1862 in th ...

( South Dakota, United States) by

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...

, Rothschild & Burnham (2016), who interpret the wound as caused by an unsuccessful attack of a

polycotylid Polycotylidae is a family of plesiosaurs from the Cretaceous, a sister group to Leptocleididae. Polycotylids first appeared during the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous, before becoming abundant and widespread during the early Late Cretaceous. ...

plesiosaur The Plesiosauria (; Greek: πλησίος, ''plesios'', meaning "near to" and ''sauros'', meaning "lizard") or plesiosaurs are an order or clade of extinct Mesozoic marine reptiles, belonging to the Sauropterygia. Plesiosaurs first appeared ...

. *

Pelvic The pelvis (plural pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis, or pelvic skeleton). The ...

elements of ''

Gargantuavis ''Gargantuavis'' is an extinct genus of large, primitive bird containing the single species ''Gargantuavis philoinos''. It is the only member of the monotypic family Gargantuaviidae. Its fossils were discovered in several formations dating to 73 ...

philoinos'', providing new information about the pelvic morphology of the species, are described from the Late Cretaceous (late Campanian/early Maastrichtian) of southern France by Buffetaut & Angst (2016). * A specimen of '' Vegavis iaai'' with a fossilized

syrinx In classical Greek mythology, Syrinx (Greek Σύριγξ) was a nymph and a follower of Artemis, known for her chastity. Pursued by the amorous god Pan, she ran to a river's edge and asked for assistance from the river nymphs. In answer, sh ...

is described from the Late Cretaceous of Antarctica by Clarke ''et al.'' (2016). * A study on the feeding mechanics and behaviour of five moa species is published by Attard ''et al.'' (2016). * Mariana B.J. Picasso & María Clelia Mosto, 2016: ''Hinasuri nehuensis'' Tambussi was a robust, extinct rheid bird from the early Pliocene of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. This paper revisits the femoral morphology of ''H. nehuensis'' and provides an updated osteological description together with new insights into its palaeobiology. * Restudies of the Pleistocene species ''Rhea pampeana'' and ''Rhea anchorenensis'' are published by Picasso (2016) and Picasso and Mosto (2016), respectively, who consider these species to be junior synonyms of the extant greater rhea (''Rhea americana''). * Demarchi ''et al.'' (2016) report the recovery of mineral-bound protein sequences from ostrich eggshells from the paleontological sites of Laetoli and

Olduvai Gorge The Olduvai Gorge or Oldupai Gorge in Tanzania is one of the most important paleoanthropology, paleoanthropological localities in the world; the many sites exposed by the gorge have proven invaluable in furthering understanding of early human ev ...

( Tanzania). *

Worthy Worthy can refer to: People * Worthy (surname) * Worthington Worthy Patterson (born 1931), American basketball player * F. F. Worthington, nicknamed "Worthy" Places * Worthy, see List of generic forms in place names in Ireland and the United Ki ...

''et al.'' (2016) argue that ''

Sylviornis ''Sylviornis'', also known by its native name of Du, is an extinct genus of large, flightless bird that was endemic to the islands of New Caledonia in the Western Pacific. It is considered to constitute one of two genera in the extinct family ...

neocaledoniae'' is a

stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...

- galliform related to '' Megavitiornis altirostris'' and both are placed in the

Sylviornithidae Sylviornithidae is an extinct family of flightless birds, known from subfossil bones found in Holocene aged deposits on the Melanesian islands of New Caledonia and Fiji. Traditionally assumed to be within Galliformes, recent phylogenetic studies ...

Mourer-Chauviré et Balouet, 2005. * A revision of the systematics of the early Eocene North American members of

Geranoididae Geranoididae is a clade of extinct birds from the early to late Eocene and possibly early Oligocene of North America and Europe. These were mid-sized, long-legged flightless birds.Gerald Mayr (2009). Paleogene Fossil Birds Recent research shows ...

is published by Mayr (2016), who argues that geranoidids might be stem group representatives of the Gruoidea (the clade including

trumpeters The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

cranes Crane or cranes may refer to: Common meanings * Crane (bird), a large, long-necked bird * Crane (machine), industrial machinery for lifting ** Crane (rail), a crane suited for use on railroads People and fictional characters * Crane (surname), ...

and related birds). * Zelenkov, Boev & Lazaridis (2016) reinterpret ''Otis hellenica'' from the Miocene of Greece, originally thought to be a bustard, as a member of

Gruiformes The Gruiformes are an order (biology), order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird family (biology), families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like". Traditionally, a number of wading and t ...

belonging to the family

Eogruidae Eogruidae (also spelled Eogruiidae in some publications) is a family of large, flightless birds that inhabited Asia from the Eocene to Pliocene epochs. Related to modern ostriches, it was formerly thought to be related to cranes, limpkins and trum ...

and the subfamily Ergilornithinae; the authors classify it as a possible member of the genus '' Amphipelargus'' of uncertain specific assignment ("?''Amphipelargus'' sp."). * A restudy of the holotype specimen of ''

Bathornis ''Bathornis'' ("tall bird") is an extinct lineage of birds related to modern day seriemas, that lived in North America about 37–20 million years ago. Like the closely related and also extinct phorusrhacids, it was a flightless predator, occupyi ...

grallator'' and a study on the taxonomic composition and phylogenetic affinities of

bathornithids Bathornithidae is an extinct family of birds from the Eocene to Miocene of North America. Part of Cariamiformes, they are related to the still extant seriemas and the also extinct Phorusrhacidae. They were likely similar in habits, being terrestr ...

is published by Mayr (2016). * Zelenkov, Volkova and Gorobets (2016) describe buttonquail fossils from the late Miocene of Hungary, southern Ukraine and northern Kazakhstan, and transfer the species '' Calidris janossyi'' Kessler (2009) to the genus '' Ortyxelos''. * Gerald Mayr and Zbigniew M. Bochenski,(2016) describe a disarticulated postcranial skeleton of a Ralloidea from the Early Oligocene (Rupelian) Jamna Dolna Site 2 in Poland as Gen. et Sp. indet. * Agnolin, Tomassini and Contreras (2016) describe a distal end of

tarsometatarsus The tarsometatarsus is a bone that is only found in the lower leg of birds and some non-avian dinosaurs. It is formed from the fusion of several bones found in other types of animals, and homologous to the mammalian tarsus (ankle bones) and meta ...

from the late Miocene levels of the Loma de Las Tapias Formation ( San Juan Province, Argentina), identified as the oldest

seedsnipe The seedsnipes are a small family, Thinocoridae, of small gregarious waders which have adapted to a herbivorous diet. The family is divided into two genera, ''Attagis'' and '' Thinocorus'', each containing two species. The family has a South Ame ...

fossil discovered so far. * Body mass estimates for 25 extinct pan-alcids and a study of body mass evolution in Pan-Alcidae are published by Smith (2016). * The earliest known

endocast of a

penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...

(a member of the genus ''

Waimanu ''Waimanu'' is a genus of early penguin which lived during the Paleocene, soon after the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, around 62–60 million years ago. It was about the size of an emperor penguin (1 metre). It is one of the most impor ...

'') is described from the Paleocene Waipara Greensand ( New Zealand) by Proffitt, Clarke & Scofield (2016). * Thomas & Ksepka (2016) classify a Whaingaroan penguin from the Glen Massey Formation (

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

, New Zealand), first described in 1973, as a member of the genus ''

Kairuku ''Kairuku'' is an extinct genus of penguin. It contains three species, ''K. grebneffi'', ''K. waitaki'' and ''K. waewaeroa''. This taxon is known from bones from 27 MYA (late Oligocene), from the Kokoamu Greensand Formation of New Zealand. ...

'' of uncertain specific assignment, extending the geographic range of the genus. * Park ''et al.'', 2016 The description of recently collected penguin fossils from the re-dated upper Miocene Port Campbell Limestone of Portland (Victoria), in addition to reanalysis of previously described material, has allowed the Cenozoic history of penguins in Australia to be placed into a global context for the first time. Australian pre-Quaternary fossil penguins represent stem taxa phylogenetically disparate from each other and ''

Eudyptula minor The little penguin (''Eudyptula minor'') is a species of penguin from New Zealand. They are commonly known as little blue penguins or blue penguins owing to their slate-blue plumage and are also known by their Māori name . The Australian lit ...

'', implying multiple dispersals and extinctions. * Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche, Leandro M. Pérez, Sergio Marenssi, Marcelo Reguero (2016). The purpose of this paper is to provide a taphonomic analysis of the holotype of '' Crossvallia unienwillia'', in order to improve the knowledge of the vertebrate record of the Cross Valley Formation, a unit exposed in the central area of Marambio (Seymour) Island, Antarctic Peninsula. * A new skeleton of the Eocene penguin '' Palaeeudyptes klekowskii'' is described from the Submeseta Formation ( Seymour Island, Antarctica) by Acosta Hospitaleche (2016). * Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche & Eduardo Olivero, 2016: Eocene penguins are known mostly from Antarctic specimens. A previously documented partial skeleton consisting of a pelvis, femur, tibiotarsus and fibula, from the middle Eocene Leticia Formation, Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina, has been prepared and re-described. Re-analysis favours assignment to ''Palaeeudyptes gunnari'', a species widely recorded in the Eocene of Antarctica. * Fossils of a

stork Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family called Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons an ...

and a

heron The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus ...

belonging or related to the tribe Nycticoracini are described from the Pliocene of

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

by Stidham ''et al.'' (2016). * A restudy of the fossils attributed to the species ''Liornis floweri'' and ''Callornis giganteus'' from the Miocene Santa Cruz Formation ( Patagonia, Argentina) is published by Buffetaut (2016), who considers ''L. floweri'' to be a

junior synonym The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linna ...

of '' Brontornis burmeisteri'' and considers ''C. giganteus'' to be a chimera based on a phorusrhacid

and a brontornithid tibiotarsus. * A study of eggshell fragments from the Pleistocene of Australia putatively referred to '' Genyornis newtoni'' is published by Grellet-Tinner, Spooner &

(2016), who argue that these fossils are more likely to be remains of eggs laid by megapodes. Based on the similarities in the structure of eggshells of megapodes and dromornithids, the authors also hypothesize that dromornithids might be a

sister group In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and t ...

galliforms Galliformes is an order (biology), order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkey (bird), turkeys, chickens, Old World quail, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems ...

rather than to or within anseriforms. * A study of burnt putative '' Genyornis'' eggshell fragments from the Pleistocene of Australia is published by Miller ''et al.'' (2016), who interpret them as confirming that eggs of ''Genyornis newtoni'' were harvested by humans. * A study on the possible presence, form, and extent of sexual dimorphism in '' Dromornis stirtoni'' is published by Handley ''et al.'' (2016). *

Gastornithid ''Gastornis'' is an extinct genus of large flightless birds that lived during the mid Paleocene to mid Eocene epochs of the Paleogene period. Fossils have been found in Europe, Asia and North America, with the remains from North America origina ...

and presbyornithid fossils are described from the early Eocene of

Ellesmere Island Ellesmere Island ( iu, script=Latn, Umingmak Nuna, lit=land of muskoxen; french: île d'Ellesmere) is Canada's northernmost and List of Canadian islands by area, third largest island, and the List of islands by area, tenth largest in the world. ...

( Canada) by Stidham & Eberle (2016). * The genus ''

Wilaru ''Wilaru'' is an extinct genus of bird of uncertain phylogenetic placement from the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene of Australia. It was originally classified as a stone-curlew, but subsequently it was argued to be a member of the extinct famil ...

'', initially considered to be of a

stone-curlew The stone-curlews, also known as dikkops or thick-knees, consist of 10 species within the family Burhinidae, and are found throughout the tropical and temperate parts of the world, with two or more species occurring in some areas of Africa, Asia, ...

, is reinterpreted as a member of Presbyornithidae by De Pietri ''et al.'' (2016); the authors also reassess the Cretaceous species '' Teviornis gobiensis'' and confirm it as a member of Presbyornithidae. * A revision of anseriform birds known from the late Miocene localities in central Hungary is published by Zelenkov (2016), who transfers the species '' Anas denesi'' Kessler (2013) to the genus '' Aythya'' and classifies the species ''Anas albae'' Janossy (1979) as a member of tribe Mergini of uncertain generic assignment. * A revision of galliform birds known from the late Miocene localities in central Hungary is published by Zelenkov (2016), who transfers the subspecies '' Pavo aesculapi phasianoides'' Janossy (1991) to the genus '' Syrmaticus'' and raises it to the rank of a separate species '' Syrmaticus phasianoides''. * New fossil remains of the Eocene cuckoo '' Chambicuculus pusillus'' are described from Tunisia by Mourer-Chauviré ''et al.'' (2016). * Virtual cranial endocast of the dodo is described by Gold, Bourdon & Norell (2016). * An ungual phalanx of a large member of Accipitridae belonging to an unknown genus and species is described from the Miocene of Panama by Steadman & MacFadden (2016). * Partial

of a small parrot is described from the Early Miocene Khalagay Formation (Baikal region, Russia) by Zelenkov (2016). * A study on the phylogenetic relationships of extant and extinct New Zealand wrens, as indicated by data from novel mitochondrial genome sequences, is published by Mitchell ''et al.'' (2016). * Fossil avian feet from the Early Eocene of Messel, Germany are described by Gerald Mayr * A new tracksite with bird footprints (attributed to the ichnospecies '' Uvaichnites riojana''), preserved in the early Miocene Lerín Formation ( Bardenas Reales de Navarra Natural Park,

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

, Spain), is described by Díaz-Martínez ''et al.'' (2016). * A new ichnospecies, ''Koreananornis lii'', from the Lower Cretaceous avian track locality in the Guanshan area, Yongjing County, Gansu Province, northwest China, is described by Xing, Buckley, Lockley, Zhang, Marty, Wang, Li, McCrea et Peng, 2016. (2016). * An avian egg from the Lower Cretaceous (Albian) Liangtoutang Formation is described by Lawver ''et al.'' (2016) and named ''Pachycorioolithus jinyunensis'' oogen. et oosp. nov. within Pachycorioolithidae oofam. nov. * Three pellets with bird remains are described from the Eocene Messel pit ( Germany) by Mayr & Schaal (2016), who interpret two of the pellets as probably produced by snakes or other squamates, and one as probable owl pellet (which, if confirmed, would make it the oldest owl pellet identified so far), possibly produced by the owl ''

Palaeoglaux ''Palaeoglaux'' is a genus of fossil owls from the Eocene epoch. The two known species are ''P. perrierensis'' from the Upper Eocene of Quercy, France, and ''P. artophoron'' from the Middle Eocene Messel shales, Germany.Mourer-Chauviré, Cécile ...

artophoron''.

New taxa

Pterosaurs

Research

* A new

wukongopterid Wukongopteridae is a group of basal pterosaurs, found in China and the UK. It contains eight species in five genera, all dated to the Middle to Late Jurassic period, The Wukongopteridae were first named by Wang ''et al.'' in 2009, not yet givi ...

specimen is described from the Late Jurassic Daohugou Bed or Tiaojishan Formation (

) by Cheng ''et al.'' (2016). * Description of a new specimen of '' Gladocephaloideus jingangshanensis'' and a study of the phylogenetic relationships of this species is published by Lü, Kundrát & Shen (2016). * New information on the braincase anatomy of '' Pterodaustro guinazui'' is published by Codorniú, Paulina-Carabajal & Gianechini (2016). * A small azhdarchoid, possibly an azhdarchid, is described from the Late Cretaceous ( Campanian) Northumberland Formation ( British Columbia, Canada) by Martin-Silverstone ''et al.'' (2016). * Kellner ''et al.'' (2016) redescribe the first pterosaur remains from Japan, referring it to a

pteranodontid The Pteranodontidae are a Family (biology), family of large pterosaurs of the Cretaceous Period of North America and Africa. The family was named in 1876 by Othniel Charles Marsh. Pteranodontids had a distinctive, elongated crest jutting from the ...

-like pterosaur and indicating that it is the largest pterosaur recorded from Asia so far.

New taxa

References

{{Reflist, 30em 2010s in paleontology P