2012 in paleontology


Note: In 2012 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. 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 weren't 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

Gymnosperms

Angiosperms

Other plants

Arthropods

The following is a summary of the arthropods described in 2012

Brachiopods

Molluscs

The following is a summary of the Molluscs described in 2012

Ascidians

Conodonts

Fishes

During 2012, 81 new species of fish were described.

Amphibians

Research

Newly named basal tetrapods

Newly named temnospondyls

Newly named lepospondyls

Newly named lissamphibians

Parareptiles

Newly named parareptiles

Ichthyopterygians

Newly named ichthyosaurs

Lepidosauromorphs

Newly named saurosphargids

Newly named sauropterygians

Newly named rhynchocephalians

Squamates

Research

Turtles

Research

Archosauromorphs

Newly named basal archosauromorphs

Archosaurs

The following is a summary of the archosaurs described in 2012

Non-mammalian synapsids

Research

Mammals

The following is a summary of the mammals described in 2012

Other organisms