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.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1875
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880
1881
+...

Arthropods

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Newly named arachnids

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Aranea columbiae[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Scudder

?Ypresian

Quesnel
?Fraser Formation

  Canada
  British Columbia

An orb-web spider egg sack ichnogenus.
moved to Araneaovoius columbiae (2011).[3]

 
Araneaovoius columbiae
(1890 illustration

Newly named insects

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Bothromicromus[2]

Gen et Sp nov

valid

Scudder

?Ypresian

Quesnel
?Fraser Formation

  Canada
  British Columbia

A possibly megalomine[4] hemerobiid lacewing.
Type species B. lachlani

 
Bothromicromus lachlani
(1890 illustration)

Euschistus antiquus[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Scudder

?Ypresian

Quesnel
?Fraser Formation

  Canada
  British Columbia

A shield bug
moved to Teleoschistus antiquus (1890).[5]

 
Teleoschistus antiquus
(1890 illustration)

Holcorpa[6]

Gen et sp nov

valid

Scudder

Eocene
Priabonian

Florissant Formation

  USA
  Colorado

A holcorpid scorpionfly
The type species is H. maculosa.

 
Holcorpa maculosa

Lachnus quesneli[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Scudder

?Ypresian

Quesnel
?Fraser Formation

  Canada
  British Columbia

An aphidoid of uncertain placement
Moved to Sbenaphis quesneli (1890).[5]

 
Sbenaphis quesneli
(1890 illustration)

Sciara deperdita[2]

Sp nov

valid

Scudder

?Ypresian

Quesnel
?Fraser Formation

  Canada
  British Columbia

A sciarine dark-winged fungus gnat.

 
Sciara deperdita
(1890 illustration)

Archosauromorphs

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O. W. Lucas recovers more material which would be referred to Laelaps trihedrodon from Morrison Formation strata near Garden Park, Colorado.[7]

Newly named pseudosuchians

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Symphyrophus

Nomen dubium

Cope

Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)

Morrison Formation

  USA

Possible synonym of Amphicotylus.[8]

Newly named dinosaurs

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Amphicoelias fragillimus

Sp nov

Jr. synonym

Marsh

Late Jurassic (Tithonian)

Unknown

  USA

Moved to Maraapunisaurus fragillimus (2018).[9]

 
Maraapunisaurus fragillimus

Brachyrophus

Gen nov

jr synonym

Cope

Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)

Morrison Formation

  USA

Junior synonym of Camptosaurus.

 
Camptosaurus dispar

Creosaurus

Gen nov

Junior synonym

Marsh

Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)

Morrison Formation

  USA

Synonym of Allosaurus fragilis.

 
Allosaurus fragilis

Diplodocus

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Marsh

Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)

Morrison Formation

  USA

A diplodocine diplodocid.
Type species D. longus

 
Diplodocus carnegii

Epanterias

Gen et sp nov

Nomen dubium

Cope

Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)

Morrison Formation

  USA
  Colorado

An allosaurid theropod.
Possibly a synonym of Allosaurus.
Type species E. amplexus

Hypsirhophus

Gen et sp nov

Nomen dubium

Cope

Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)

Morrison Formation

  USA
  Colorado

possibly a synonym of Stegosaurus.
Type species H. discurus

Laosaurus

Gen et sp nov

Nomen dubium

Marsh

Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)

Morrison Formation

  USA
  Colorado

A dubious Neornithischian of uncertain placement.

 
Laosaurus

Morosaurus

Gen et sp nov

Jr. synonym

Marsh

Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)

Morrison Formation

  USA
  Colorado

Junior synonym of Camarasaurus.
Type species M. grandis

 
Camarasaurus lentus

Plesiosaurs

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Newly named plesiosaurs

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Eurysaurus

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Gaudry

Early Jurassic

Unknown

  France

A possible pliosauroid
Type species E. raincourti

Synapsids

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Non-mammalian

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Name Status Authors Discovery year Age Unit Location Notes Images

Dimetrodon

Valid

  USA
  Texas

 
Dimetrodon incisivum

Embolophorus

Valid

Ophiacodon

Valid

Sphenacodon

Valid

Theropleura

Valid

Footnotes

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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 e Scudder, S. H (1878). "Additions to the Insect-fauna of the Tertiary beds at Quesnel, British Columbia". Geological Survey of Canada, Report of Progress for. 1876–1877: 457–464.
  3. ^ Dunlop, J.A.; Braddy, S.J. (2011). "Cteniza bavincourti and the nomenclature of arachnid-related trace fossils". The Journal of Arachnology. 39: 250–257.
  4. ^ Makarkin, V.; Wedmann, S.; Weiterschan, T. (2016). "A new genus of Hemerobiidae (Neuroptera) from Baltic amber, with a critical review of the Cenozoic Megalomus-like taxa and remarks on the wing venation variability of the family". Zootaxa. 4179 (3): 345–370. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4179.3.2.
  5. ^ a b Scudder, S. H. (1890). "The Tertiary insects of North America". United States Geological Survey of the Territories, Washington: 615.
  6. ^ Archibald, SB (2010). "Revision of the scorpionfly family Holcorpidae (Mecoptera), with description of a new species from Early Eocene McAbee, British Columbia, Canada" (PDF). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France. 46 (1–2): 173–182. doi:10.1080/00379271.2010.10697654. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
  7. ^ "Introduction," Chure (2001) page 11.
  8. ^ Osborn, H.F., and Mook, C. C. (1921). "Camarasaurus, Amphicoelias and other sauropods of Cope." Memoirs of the American Museum of Natural History NS, 3(3): 249–387.
  9. ^ Carpenter, K. (2018). "Maraapunisaurus fragillimus, n.g. (formerly Amphicoelias fragillimus), a basal Rebbachisaurid from the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic) of Colorado". Geology of the Intermountain West. 5 (9): 227–244. ISSN 2380-7601.

References

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  • Chure, Daniel J. (2001). "On the type and referred material of Laelaps trihedrodon Cope 1877 (Dinosauria: Theropoda)". In Tanke, Darren; Carpenter, Kenneth (eds.). Mesozoic Vertebrate Life. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. pp. 10–18. ISBN 0-253-33907-3.