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 1840.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1837
1838
1839
1840
1841
1842
1843
+...

Arthropods

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Crustaceans

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Alvis[2]

Gen. et. sp. nov.

Jr synonym

Münster

Jurassic

Solnhofen Limestone

  Germany

Type species is A. octopus, initially described as an isopod, now a junior synonym of Pseudastacus.[3]

Norna[2]

Gen. et. sp. nov.

Valid

Münster

Jurassic

Solnhofen Limestone

  Germany

A peracarid initially described as an isopod, type species is N. lithophila.[3]

Sculda[2]

Gen. et. sp. nov.

Valid

Münster

Late Jurassic (Tithonian)

Solnhofen Limestone

  Germany

A mantis shrimp initially described as an isopod, type species is S. pennata.

 
Sculda

Urda[2]

Gen. et. sp. nov.

Valid

Münster

Jurassic - Cretaceous

  Germany

An isopod, species named include U. rostrata, U. decorata, U. cincta & U. elongata.

Anapsids

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Newly named anapsids

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Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes

Palaeosaurus

Preoccupied

Fitzinger

Early Permian

Unnamed unit (coal deposits)

  Czech Republic

Preoccupied by a non-dinosaurian archosaur named by Geoffroy Saint-Hilare in 1833. Renamed Sphenosaurus. A procolophonid.

Archosauromorphs

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Newly named basal archosauromorphs

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Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes

Paleosaurus

Nomen dubium

Riley

Stutchbury

Late Triassic (?Rhaetian)

Magnesian Conglomerate

  England

An archosaur of unknown affinities

Newly named dinosaurs

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Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.[4]

Name Status Authors Notes

Hylosaurus[5]

Jr. synonym

Fitzinger

Junior synonym of Hylaeosaurus.

Therosaurus[5]

Valid

Fitzinger

An iguanodont. New name for "Iguanodon" mantelli von Meyer (1832) (=Iguanodon anglicus Holl (1829)).

Plesiosaurs

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Newly named plesiosaurs

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Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes

Plesiosaurus arcuatus

Valid

Owen

Early Jurassic (Hettangian-Sinemurian)

Blue Lias

  United Kingdom

A rhomaleosaurid.

Plesiosaurus brachyspondylus

Valid

Owen

Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian)

Kimmeridge Clay Formation

  United Kingdom

A thalassophonean pliosaurid.

Plesiosaurus hawkinsii

Valid

Owen

Early Jurassic (Hettangian-Sinemurian)

Blue Lias

  United Kingdom

A pliosaurid.

Plesiosaurus rugosus

Valid

Owen

Early Jurassic (Hettangian-Sinemurian)

Blue Lias

  United Kingdom

A microcleidid.

Plesiosaurus trochantericus

Valid

Owen

Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian)

Kimmeridge Clay Formation

  United Kingdom

A cryptoclidid.

Mammals

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Newly named cetaceans

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Squalodon[6]

Gen. nov.

Valid

Grateloup

Early Miocene (Burdigalian)

Unnamed unit

  France

A squalodontid.

 
Squalodon

References

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  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.
  2. ^ a b c d Münster, G (1840). "Ueber einige Isopoden in den Kalkschiefern von Bayern" (PDF). Beiträge zur Petrefactenkunde (in German). 3: 19–23.
  3. ^ a b Moore, R. C.; Brooks, H. K.; Glaessner, M. F.; Rolfe, W. D. Ian; Manning, Raymond B.; Holthuis, L. B.; Hessler, Robert R. (1969-01-01). "Part R, Arthropoda 4, vol. 1 & 2, ch. 4, p. 295-566". Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. doi:10.17161/dt.v0i0.5629. ISSN 2153-621X.
  4. ^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  5. ^ a b Fitzinger, L.J. 1840. Über Palaeosaurus sternbergii, eine neue Gattung vorweltlicher Reptilien und die Stellung dieser Thiere im Systeme überhaupt. Wiener Mus. Annalen II: pp. 175-187 + plate XI.
  6. ^ Grateloup, Jean-Pierre Silvestre de (1840). Description d'un fragment de machoire fossile d'un genre nouveau de reptile (saurien) : de taille gigantesque voison de l'iguanodon, trouvé dans les grès marins à Léognan près Bordeaux (Gironde) (1840) (in French). [S.l: s.n.]