1874 in paleontology

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Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils.^[1] 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 1874.

Dinosaurs[edit]

Publications[edit]

Richard Owen publishes a monograph on Wealden and Purbeck reptiles, classifying Scelidosaurus, Iguanodon and Echinodon in the new dinosaur clade Prionodontia.^[2]

Newly named dinosaurs[edit]

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes
Cionodon	Nomen dubium	Edward Drinker Cope	Late Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian)	Laramie Formation	US Colorado	A hadrosaurid.
Craterosaurus	Nomen dubium	Harry Govier Seeley	Early Cretaceous	Potton Sands	England	A dubious stegosaur.
Ischyrosaurus	Preoccupied.	Hulke, 1874	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian)	Kimmeridge Clay	UK	Preoccupied by Edward Drinker Cope, 1869.
Morinosaurus	Nomen dubium	Sauvage	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian)	Unnamed unit	France	A dubious sauropod.
Polyonax	Jr. synonym	Edward Drinker Cope	Late Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian)	Laramie Formation	US	Junior subjective synonym of Triceratops.

Ichthyosaurs[edit]

New taxa[edit]

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Ophthalmosaurus	Valid	Seeley	Middle Jurassic (Callovian)	Oxford Clay Formation	UK	An ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur.

Plesiosaurs[edit]

New taxa[edit]

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes
Colymbosaurus	Valid	Seeley	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian)	Kimmeridge Clay	UK	A cryptoclidid, new genus for "Plesiosaurus" megadeirus Seeley, 1869
Eretmosaurus	Valid	Seeley	Early Jurassic (Hettangian-Sinemurian)	Blue Lias	UK	A member of Microcleididae; new genus for "Plesiosaurus" rugosus Owen, 1840.
Mauisaurus	Valid	Hector	Late Cretaceous (late Campanian-Maastrichtian)	Conway Formation	New Zealand	An elasmosaurid.
Muraenosaurus	Valid	Seeley	Middle Jurassic (Callovian)	Oxford Clay	UK	A cryptoclidid.
Rhomaleosaurus	Valid	Seeley	Early Jurassic (Toarcian)	Whitby Mudstone Formation	UK	A rhomaleosaurid; new genus for "Plesiosaurus" cramptoni Carte and Bailey, 1863

Pterosaurs[edit]

Newly named pterosaurs[edit]

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Coloborhynchus	Valid	Owen	Early Cretaceous (Valanginian)	Wadhurst Clay Formation	UK	A member of Ornithocheiridae.
Criorhynchus	Jr. synonym	Owen				Jr. synonym of Ornithocheirus.

Squamates[edit]

Newly named mosasaurs[edit]

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Taniwhasaurus	Valid	Hector	Late Campanian	Conway Formation	New Zealand Japan Antarctica	A tylosaurine mosasaurid.	Taniwhasaurus oweni

References[edit]

^ Gini-Newman, Garfield; Graham, Elizabeth (2001). Echoes from the past: world history to the 16th century. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. ISBN 9780070887398. OCLC 46769716.
^ Owen, R. (1874). Monograph on the Fossil Reptilia of the Wealden and Purbeck Formations. Supplement No. V. Dinosauria (Iguanodon). Palaeontographical Society. pp. 1–18.

[1] Gini-Newman, Garfield; Graham, Elizabeth (2001). Echoes from the past: world history to the 16th century. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. ISBN 9780070887398. OCLC 46769716.

[owen1874-2] Owen, R. (1874). Monograph on the Fossil Reptilia of the Wealden and Purbeck Formations. Supplement No. V. Dinosauria (Iguanodon). Palaeontographical Society. pp. 1–18.

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