title: 1951 in paleontology
text: # 1951 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 1951.
  
  ## Archosaurs
  
  ### Newly named dinosaurs
  
  Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.
  
  | Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Montanoceratops | Valid | Charles M. Sternberg | Late Cretaceous (Edmontonian) | St. Mary River Formation | Canada ( Alberta)  USA ( Montana) | A leptoceratopsid. | Montanoceratops |
  | Pachysuchus | Nomen dubium | Young | Early Jurassic (Hettangian-Sinemurian) | Lufeng Formation | China | A dubious basal sauropodomorph. | |
  
  ## Synapsids
  
  ### Non-mammalian
  
  | Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Baurocynodon | Junior synonym | Brink | Late Permian | Dicynodon Assemblage Zone | | A junior synonym of Nanictosaurus. |
  | Gomphodontoides | Jr. synonym | Brink and Kitching | Middle Triassic | Burgersdorp Formation | | A junior synonym of Diademodon. |
  | Silphedocynodon | Junior synonym | Brink | Late Permian | Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone | | A junior synonym of Procynosuchus. |
  | Walteria | Preoccupied | Brink and Kitching | Middle Permian | Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone | South Africa | A junior homonym of Walteria Schulze, 1885; renamed Karroowalteria Kuhn, 1938 |
  