Paleontology, palaeontology or palæontology (from Greek: paleo, "ancient"; ontos, "being"; and logos, "knowledge") 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, coprolites, palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because mankind has 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 in the year 1982.
^Suslov vide Suslov, Y.V. 1982. Dromaeosaurid unguals from the Upper Cretaceous deposits of the Kzyl-Orda region. Akad. Nauk Kazokhskoy S.S.R. Inst. Zool. Mat. istorii fauny flory Kazakhstana 8: pp. 5-16.
^Yadagiri, P. 1982. Osteological studies of a carnosaurian dinosaur from the Lower Jurassic Kota Formation: Andhra Pradesh. Geological Survey of India (Progress Report for Field Season Programme 1981-1982), Regional Palaeontological Laboratories, Southern Region: 7 pages.
^Young, C.-C. 1982. On a primitive crocodile from Lufeng, Yunnna. Selected Works on Yang, Zhungijang: pp. 26-28.
^Perle A., T. Maryanska, and H. Osmolska. 1982. Goyocephale lattimorei gen. et sp. n., a new flatheaded pachycephalosaur (Ornithischia, Dinosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia. Acta Palaeontol. Polonica 27: pp. 115-127.
^Dong, Z., Z. Tang, and S. Zhou. 1982. Note on the new Mid-Jurassic stegosaur from Sichuan Basin, China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 20: pp. 83-87.
^Osmolska, H. 1982. Hulsanpes perlei n.g. n. sp. (Deinonychosauria, Saurischia, Dinosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous Barun Goyot Formation of Mongolia. N. Jb. Geol. Palaontol. Mh. 1982: pp. 440-448.
^Carpenter, K. 1982. Baby dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous Lance and Hell Creek formations and a description of a new species of theropod. Contributions to Geology, University of Wyoming. 20 (2): pp. 123-134.
^Young , C.C. 1982. On a new genus of dinosaur from Lufeng, Yunnan. In: Selected works of Yang Zhung-jian. Science Press, Beijing: pp. 38-42.
^Bonaparte, J.F. 1982. Classification of the Thecodontia. Geobios Mem. Spec. 6: pp. 99-112.
^Delair, J.B. 1982. Notes on an armoured dinosaur from Barnes High, Isle of Wight. Proceedings of the Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1980, Volume 7(5): pp. 297-302.