1879 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 1879.

Plants

Ferns

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Equisetum similkamense[2]	Sp nov	valid	Dawson	Ypresian	Allenby Formation	Canada British Columbia	A scouring rush	Equisetum similkamense

Arthropods

Insects

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Buprestis saxigena[3]	Sp nov	valid	Scudder	Ypresian	Coldwater Beds	Canada British Columbia	A jewel beetle	Buprestis saxigena (1890 illustration)
Buprestis sepulta[3]	Sp nov	valid	Scudder	Ypresian	Coldwater Beds	Canada British Columbia	A jewel beetle	Buprestis sepulta (1890 illustration)
Buprestis tertiaria[3]	Sp nov	valid	Scudder	Ypresian	Coldwater Beds	Canada British Columbia	A jewel beetle	Buprestis tertiaria (1890 illustration)
Cercopis selwyni[3]	Sp nov	valid	Scudder	Ypresian	Allenby Formation	Canada British Columbia	A froghopper	Cercopis selwyni (1890 illustration)
Cercyon? terrigena[3]	Sp nov	valid	Scudder	Ypresian	Coldwater Beds	Canada British Columbia	A water scavenger beetle	Cercyon? terrigena (1890 illustration)
Coelidia columbiana[3]	Sp nov	valid	Scudder	Ypresian	Allenby Formation	Canada British Columbia	A leafhopper	Coelidia columbiana (1890 illustration)
Hygrotrechus stali[3]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Scudder	Ypresian	Allenby Formation	Canada British Columbia	A gerrine water strider moved to Telmatrechus stali (1890) moved to "Gerris" stali (1910)[4] returned to Telmatrechus stali (1998)[5]	Telmatrechus stali (1890 illustration)
Nebria paleomelas[3]	Sp nov	valid	Scudder	Ypresian	Coldwater Beds	Canada British Columbia	A ground beetle	Nebria paleomelas (1890 illustration)
Penthetria similkameena[3]	Sp nov	Jr synonym	Scudder	Ypresian	Allenby Formation	Canada British Columbia	A plecian marchfly moved to Plecia similkameena (1885)[6]	Plecia similkameena
Planophlebia[3]	Gen et sp nov	Jr synonym	Scudder	Ypresian	Allenby Formation	Canada British Columbia	A hemipteran[3] of uncertain placement[7]	Planophlebia gigantea (1890 illustration)
Tenebrio primigenius[3]	Sp nov	valid	Scudder	Ypresian	Allenby Formation	Canada British Columbia	A darkling beetle	Tenebrio primigenius (1890 illustration)
Trox oustaleti[3]	Sp nov	valid	Scudder	Ypresian	Allenby Formation	Canada British Columbia	A hide beetle	Trox oustaleti (1890 illustration)

Ichthyosauromorpha

Ichthyosaurs

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Sauranodon	Gen nov	Junior homonym	Marsh	Late Jurassic (Oxfordian)	Sundance Formation	United States Wyoming	Preoccupied by Sauranodon Jourdan, 1862; renamed Baptanodon Marsh, 1880.	Baptanodon natans

Archosauromorphs

Newly named non-avian dinosaurs

Name	Status	Authors		Age	Unit	Location	Notes
Anoplosaurus[8]	Valid	Harry Govier Seeley		middle Cretaceous (late Albian-early Cenomanian)	Cambridge Greensand	United Kingdom	A nodosaurid ankylosaur, a member of Struthiosaurinae. The type species is A. curtonotus.
Brontosaurus	Valid	Othniel Charles Marsh		Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	US	An apatosaurine diplodocid.
Camptonotus[9]	Preoccupied.	Othniel Charles Marsh		Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	US	Preoccupied by Uhler, 1864. Later renamed Camptosaurus.
Coelurus[9]	Valid	Othniel Charles Marsh		Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	US	A basal coelurosaur. The type species is Coelurus fragilis.
Eucercosaurus[8]	Nomen dubium	Harry Govier Seeley		middle Cretaceous (late Albian-early Cenomanian)	Cambridge Greensand	United Kingdom	An dubious ornithopod.
Labrosaurus[10]	Valid	Othniel Charles Marsh		Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	US	Junior subjective synonym of Allosaurus. The type species is Allosaurus lucaris Marsh, 1878.
Syngonosaurus[8]	Nomen dubium	Harry Govier Seeley		middle Cretaceous (late Albian-early Cenomanian)	Cambridge Greensand	United Kingdom	A dubious ornithopod. The type species is S. macrocercus.
Vectisaurus[11]	Nomen dubium	Hulke		early Cretaceous (Barremian)	Wessex Formation	United Kingdom	A dubious iguanodont. The type species is Vectisaurus valdensis.

Synapsids

"Pelycosaurians"

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Macromerion	Gen et comb nov	Valid	Fritsch	Late Carboniferous		Czech Republic	A new genus for "Labyrinthodon" schwartzenbergii 1875.

See also

• Paleontology portal