1873 in paleontology

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 1873.

Plants

Algae

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Fucus lignitum[2]	Sp nov		Lesquereux	Cretaceous	Montana Group	USA Wyoming		A brown algae species.

Mosses

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Hypnum haydenii[2]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Lesquereux	eocene Priabonian	Florissant Formation	USA Colorado		Described as a moss species. Moved to Sequoia haydenii (1907).[3] Moved to Juniparis haydenii (1912).

Ferns

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Salvinia attenuata[2]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Lesquereux	Cretaceous	Montana Group	USA Wyoming		Described as a watermoss species. Moved to Marsilea attenuata (1894).[4]

Lycophytes

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Selaginella? falcata[2]	Sp nov	jr homonym	Lesquereux	Cretaceous	Montana Group	USA Wyoming		A possible spikemoss species. Junior homonym of Selaginella falcata (P.Beauv.) Spring (1843).
Selaginella laciniata[2]	Sp nov		Lesquereux	Cretaceous	Montana Group	USA Wyoming		A possible spikemoss species.

Conifers

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Sequoia biformis[2]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Lesquereux	Cretaceous	Montana Group	USA Wyoming		Described as a coast redwood species. Moved to Geinitzia biformis (1900).[5]
Widdringtonia complanata[2]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Lesquereux	Cretaceous	Montana Group	USA Wyoming		Described as an African cypress species. Moved to Callitris complanata (1887).[6]

Monocots

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Ottelia americana[2]	Sp nov		Lesquereux	Cretaceous	Montana Group	USA Wyoming		Described as an anacharioid hydrocharitaceous species.
Pistia corrugata[2]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Lesquereux	Cretaceous	Montana Group	USA Wyoming		Described as a water cabbage species. Moved to Cobbania corrugata (2007).[7]

Eudicots

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Alnites unequilateralis[2]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Lesquereux	Eocene Ypresian	Green River Formation	USA Wyoming		First described as a betulaceous species. Moved to Alnus inaequilateralis Moved to (1883) Moved to Planera inaequilateralis (1923).[8] Moved to Bursera inaequilateralis (1969)[9]	Bursera inaequilateralis
Carpites viburni[2]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Lesquereux	Eocene Ypresian	Green River Formation	USA Wyoming		A walnut species.	Carpites viburni
Dryophyllum crenatum[2]	Sp nov		Lesquereux	Cretaceous	Montana Group	USA Wyoming		A Fagaceous or Juglandaceous species.
Dryophyllum subfalcatum[2]	Sp nov	valid	Lesquereux	Cretaceous	Montana Group	USA Wyoming		A Fagaceous or Juglandaceous species.	Dryophyllum subfalcatum
Grewiopsis cleburnii[2]	Sp nov	valid	Lesquereux	Cretaceous	Montana Group	USA Wyoming		A platanaceous species.
Juglans alkalina[2]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Lesquereux	Eocene Ypresian	Green River Formation	USA Wyoming		A walnut species.
Laurus (Persea) praestans[2]	Sp nov		Lesquereux	Cretaceous	Montana Group	USA Wyoming		A possible laural species.
Populus melanarioides[2]	Sp nov	valid	Lesquereux	Cretaceous	Montana Group	USA Wyoming		A cottonwood/aspen species.
Rhus membranacea[2]	Sp nov		Lesquereux	Cretaceous	Montana Group	USA Wyoming		A sumac species.
Trapa? microphylla[2]	Sp nov	valid	Lesquereux	Cretaceous	Montana Group	USA Wyoming		A possible water caltrop species.
Viburnum rotundifolium[2]	Sp nov	jr homonym	Lesquereux	Cretaceous	Montana Group	USA Wyoming		A Viburnum species. Junior homonym of Viburnum rotundifolium Rafinesque, 1838

Fungi

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Synonymized taxa	Notes	Images
Sphaeria rhytismoides[2]	Sp nov	jr homonym	Lesquereux	Cretaceous	Montana Group	USA Wyoming		A fungi species. Junior homonym of Sphaeria rhytismoides Ettingshausen, 1868 Moved to replacement name Sphaerites lesquereuxii (1892).[10]

Arthropods

Newly named insects

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Bothriomyrmex constricta[11]	Comb nov	Jr synonym	(Mayr)	Lutetian	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil Dolichoderin ant jr synonym of Anonychomyrma constricta	Anonychomyrma constricta
Bothriomyrmex geinitzi[11]	Comb nov	Jr synonym	Mayr	Lutetian	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil Dolichoderin ant, jr synonym of Anonychomyrma geinitzi	Anonychomyrma geinitzi

Sauropterygia

Newly named plesiosaurs

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Location	Notes	Images
Liopleurodon	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Sauvage	Callovian	France Germany UK	A pliosaurid

Ichthyosaurs

Newly named ichthyosaurs

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Cetarthrosaurus[12]	Valid	Seeley	late Albian/early Cenomanian	Cambridge Greensand Formation	United Kingdom

Other

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Dawsonia campanulata[13]	Valid	Nicholson	Silurian	Moffat Shales Group	United Kingdom