1878 in paleontology
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 1878.
Plants
Angiosperms
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Synonymized taxa | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Acer aequidentatum[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
A maple species. |
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|
Acer bolanderi[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
A maple species. |
|||||
|
Aralia angustiloba[3] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as a spikenard species. |
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|
Aralia whitneyi[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as a spikenard species. |
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|
Betula aequalis[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as a birch relative. |
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|
Castanopsis chrysophylloides[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as an chinquapin species. |
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|
Cercocarpus antiquus[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
A mountain mahogany species. |
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|
Cornus kelloggii[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
A dogwood species. |
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|
Cornus ovalis[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
A dogwood species. |
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|
Fagus pseudoferruginea[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
A beech tree species. |
|||||
|
Ficus microphylla[2] |
sp nov |
jr homonym |
Eocene |
A fig species. |
|||||
|
Ficus sordida[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as a fig species. |
|||||
|
Ilex prunifolia[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
A holly species. |
|||||
|
Juglans californica[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as a walnut species. |
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|
Juglans egregia[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as a walnut species. |
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|
Juglans laurinea[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as a walnut species. |
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|
Juglans oregoniana[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene? |
||||||
|
Liquidambar californica[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
A sweet gum species. |
|||||
|
Magnolia californica[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
A Magnolia species. |
|||||
|
Magnolia lanceolata[2] |
sp nov |
jr homonym |
Eocene |
A Magnolia species. |
|||||
|
Persea pseudocarolinensis[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
An avacado species. |
|||||
|
Platanus appendiculata[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
A sycamore species. |
|||||
|
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
A sycamore species. |
||||||
|
Quercus boweniana[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
An oak species. |
|||||
|
Quercus convexa[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as an oak species. |
|||||
|
Quercus distincta[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
An oak species. |
|||||
|
Quercus elaenoides[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as an oak species. |
|||||
|
Quercus goeppertii[2] |
sp nov |
jr homonym |
Eocene |
First described as an oak species. |
|||||
|
Quercus nevadensis[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
An oak species. |
|||||
|
Quercus pseudochrysophylla[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
An oak species. |
|||||
|
Quercus pseudolyrata[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
An oak species. |
|||||
|
Quercus transgressus[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
An oak species. |
|||||
|
Quercus voyana[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as an oak species. |
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|
Rhus boweniana[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
||||||
|
Rhus dispersa[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as a sumac species. |
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|
Rhus metopioides[2] |
sp nov |
jr homonym |
Eocene |
A sumac relative. |
|||||
|
Rhus mixta[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as a sumac species. |
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|
Rhus myricaefolia[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as a sumac species. |
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|
Rhus typhinoides[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as a sumac species. |
|||||
|
Sabalites californicus[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
||||||
|
Salix californica[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
A willow species. |
|||||
|
Salix elliptica[2] |
sp nov |
jr homonym |
Eocene |
First described as a willow species. |
|||||
|
Ulmus affinis[2] |
sp nov |
jr homonym |
Eocene |
An elm species. |
|||||
|
Ulmus californica[2] |
sp nov |
valid |
Eocene |
An elm species. |
|||||
|
Ulmus pseudofulva[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as an elm species. |
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|
Zanthoxylum diversifolium[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as a Sichuan pepper species. |
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|
Zizyphus microphyllus[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
A jujube species. |
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|
Ziziphus piperoides[2] |
sp nov |
jr synonym |
Eocene |
First described as a jujube species. |
 | ||||
Arthropods
Newly named arachnids
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Aranea columbiae[16] |
Sp nov |
jr synonym |
Quesnel |
An orb-web spider egg sack ichnogenus. |
 (1890 illustration | |||
Newly named insects
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bothromicromus[16] |
Gen et Sp nov |
valid |
Quesnel |
A possibly megalomine[18] hemerobiid lacewing. |
 (1890 illustration) | |||
|
Euschistus antiquus[16] |
Sp nov |
jr synonym |
Quesnel |
A shield bug |
 (1890 illustration) | |||
|
Gen et sp nov |
valid |
A holcorpid scorpionfly |
 | |||||
|
Lachnus quesneli[16] |
Sp nov |
jr synonym |
Quesnel |
An aphidoid of uncertain placement |
 (1890 illustration) | |||
|
Sciara deperdita[16] |
Sp nov |
valid |
Quesnel |
A sciarine dark-winged fungus gnat. |
 (1890 illustration) | |||
Archosauromorphs
O. W. Lucas recovers more material which would be referred to Laelaps trihedrodon from Morrison Formation strata near Garden Park, Colorado.[21]
Newly named pseudosuchians
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) |
Possible synonym of Amphicotylus.[22] |
|||||||
Newly named dinosaurs
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sp nov |
Late Jurassic (Tithonian) |
Unknown |
Moved to Maraapunisaurus fragillimus (2018).[23] |
 | ||||
|
Gen nov |
jr synonym |
Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) |
Junior synonym of Camptosaurus. |
 | ||||
|
Gen nov |
Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) |
Synonym of Allosaurus fragilis. |
 | |||||
|
Gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) |
A diplodocine diplodocid. |
 | ||||
|
Gen et sp nov |
Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) |
An allosaurid theropod. |
||||||
|
Gen et sp nov |
Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) |
possibly a synonym of Stegosaurus. | ||||||
|
Gen et sp nov |
Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) |
A dubious Neornithischian of uncertain placement. |
 | |||||
|
Gen et sp nov |
Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) |
Junior synonym of Camarasaurus. |
 | |||||
Plesiosaurs
Newly named plesiosaurs
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gen et sp nov |
Valid |
Gaudry |
Unknown |
A possible pliosauroid |
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Synapsids
Non-mammalian
| Name | Status | Authors | Discovery year | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Valid |
 | |||||||
|
Valid |
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|
Valid |
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|
Valid |
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|
Valid |
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