1902 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 1902.

Plants

Ferns and allies

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Ctenopteris columbiensis[2]	Sp nov		Penhallow	Lower Cretaceous		Canada British Columbia	A Ctenopteris pinnule
Sagenopteris oblongifolia[2]	Sp nov		Penhallow	Lower Cretaceous		Canada British Columbia	A Sagenopteris pinnule

Conifers

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Pseudotsuga miocena[2]	Sp nov	valid	Penhallow	Eocene Ypresian	Okanagan Highlands Horsefly Shales	Canada British Columbia	A douglas fir wood morphospecies	Pseudotsuga miocena

Angiosperms

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Type locality	Location	Notes	Images
Clintonia oblongifolia[2]	Sp nov		Penhallow	Eocene	Paskapoo Formation	Canada Alberta	A Clintonia leaf morphospecies
Majanthemophyllum grandifolium[2]	Sp nov		Penhallow	Eocene		Canada Alberta	A green briar leaf morphospecies
Viburnum ovatum[2]	Sp nov		Penhallow	Eocene		Canada Alberta	A viburnum leaf morphospecies

Turtles

New turtle taxa

Taxon	Novelty	Status	Author(s)	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Baena antiqua[3]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Lambe	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Alberta	A species of Baena
Neurankylus[3]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	Lambe	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Alberta	A chelydrid turtle

Archosauromorphs

Dinosaurs

New dinosaur taxa

Taxon	Novelty	Status	Author(s)	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Dacentrurus[4]	Gen. nov.	Valid	Lucas	Kimmeridgian	Kimmeridge Clay	UK	A new name for Omosaurus armatus Owen, 1875 non Leidy, 1856.
Didanodon[5]	Gen. nov.	Nomen dubium	Osborn	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Alberta	A new genus name for Trachodon altidens Lambe, 1902.
Elosaurus[6]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Jr. synonym	Peterson & Gilmore	Kimmeridgian	Morrison Formation	US	Genus is a junior synonym of Brontosaurus, while the species has been reassigned as Brontosaurus parvus.
Hoplitosaurus[4]	Gen. nov.	Valid	Lucas	Barremian	Lakota Formation	USA	New genus name for Stegosaurus marshi (Lucas, 1901).
Monoclonius belli[3]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Lambe	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Alberta	Later given the genus name Chasmosaurus
Monoclonius canadensis[3]	Sp. nov.	Jr. synonym	Lambe	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Alberta	Junior synonym of Chasmosaurus belli
Monoclonius dawsoni[3]	Sp. nov.	Nomen dubium	Lambe	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Alberta	A dubious species of ceratopsid
Onychosaurus[7]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Nomen dubium	Nopcsa	Campanian			A dubious name that may be a synonym of Zalmoxes.
Ornithomimus altus[3]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Lambe	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Alberta	Later given the genus name Struthiomimus
Palaeoscincus asper[3]	Sp. nov.	Nomen dubium	Lambe	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Alberta	A dubious species of ankylosaurid.
Stegoceras[3]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	Lambe	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Alberta	A pachycephalosaur
Stereocephalus tutus[3]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Preoccupied	Lambe	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Alberta	Later renamed Euoplocephalus
Trachodon (Pteropelyx) altidens[3]	Sp. nov.	Nomen dubium	Lambe	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Alberta	A dubious species of hadrosaurid. Given the genus name Didanodon by Osborn in 1902.
Trachodon (Pteropelyx) marginatus[3]	Sp. nov.	Nomen dubium	Lambe	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Alberta	A dubious species of hadrosaurid. Later given the genus name Stephanosaurus
Trachodon (Pteropelyx) selwyni[3]	Sp. nov.	Nomen dubium	Lambe	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Alberta	A dubious species of hadrosaurid

Phytosaurs

New phytosaur taxa

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Rileya[8]	Gen. et sp. nov	Preoccupied	von Huene	Rhaetian			A junior homonym of Rileya Ashmead, 1888 (hymenopteran). Renamed Rileyasuchus Kuhn, 1961.

Protorosaurs

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Procerosaurus[8]	gen et sp nov	jr synonym	von Huene				jr synonym of Tanystropheus.

Mammals

New mammal taxa

Taxon	Novelty	Status	Author(s)	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Ptilodus primaevus[3]	Sp. nov.	Valid	Lambe	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Alberta	A species of Ptilodus
Boreodon[3]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Nomen dubium	Lambe	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Alberta	A species of multituberculate

Fish

New fish taxa

Taxon	Novelty	Status	Author(s)	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Acipenser albertensis[3]	Sp. nov.	Nomen dubium	Lambe	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Alberta	A species of Acipenser
Diphyodus[3]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	Lambe	Campanian	Dinosaur Park Formation	Alberta	A species of fish