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 1890.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1887
1888
1889
1890
1891
1892
1893
+...

Plants

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Angiosperms

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Carpolithes dentatus[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Penhallow (in Dawson)[3]

Eocene
Ypresian

Okanagan Highlands
"Stump lake", Coldwater Beds

  Canada
  British Columbia

A small betulaceous fruit;
moved to Palaeocarpinus dentatus in 2003

Comptonia columbiana[3]

Sp nov

valid

Dawson

Eocene
Ypresian

Okanagan Highlands
Allenby Formation

  Canada
  British Columbia

A Sweet fern

 
Comptonia columbiana

Pteridophyta

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Azollophyllum primaevum[4]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Penhallow

Ypresian

Allenby Formation

  Canada

moved to Azolla primaeva in 1955

 
Azolla primaeva

Arthropods

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Insects

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Cymatomera maculata[5]

Sp nov

Jr synonym

Scudder

Late Eocene

Florissant Formation

  United States
  Colorado

A palaeorehniid ensiferan.
Synonymized with Palaeorehnia maculata in 1908

 
Palaeorehnia maculata

Florissantia[5]

gen et sp nov

Valid

Scudder

Late Eocene

Florissant Formation

  United States
  Colorado

A dictyopharine planthopper.
Type species F. elegans

 
Florissantia elegans

Archosauromorphs

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Pseudosuchians

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Suchodus[6]

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Lydekker

Middle Jurassic (Callovian)

Oxford Clay Formation

  UK

A metriorhynchid thalattosuchian,
type species S. durobrivensis

 
Suchodus brachyrhynchus

Dinosaurs

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Barosaurus

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Marsh

Kimmeridgian-Tithonian

Morrison Formation

  United States
  South Dakota

A diplodocid,
Type species B. lentus

 
Barosaurus lentus

Claosaurus

gen et comb nov

Nomen dubium

Marsh

Late Cretaceous (Coniacian-Santonian)

Niobrara Formation

  United States
  Kansas

A hadrosaur. New comb for Hadrosaurus agilis Marsh 1872

 
Claosaurus agilis

Ornithomimus

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Marsh

Late Cretaceous (Lancian)

Denver Formation

  United States
  Colorado

An ornithomimid.
Type species O. velox

 
Ornithomimus edmontonicus

Sauropterygia

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Nothosauroidea

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Anarosaurus

Gen et sp nov

Valid

Dames

Middle Triassic

Lower Muschelkalk

  Germany

A pachypleurosaur.
Type species B. pumilio

 
Anarosaurus heterodontus

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. ^ Pigg, K.B.; Manchester S.R.; Wehr W.C. (2003). "Corylus, Carpinus, and Palaeocarpinus (Betulaceae) from the Middle Eocene Klondike Mountain and Allenby Formations of Northwestern North America". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 164 (5): 807–822. doi:10.1086/376816. S2CID 19802370.
  3. ^ a b Dawson, J. W. (1890). On fossil plants from the Similkameen Valley and other places in the southern interior of British Columbia. Royal Society of Canada.
  4. ^ Arnold, C.A. (1955). "A Tertiary Azolla from British Columbia" (PDF). Contributions from the Museum of. Paleontology, University of Michigan. 12 (4): 37–45.
  5. ^ a b Scudder, S. H. (1890). "The Tertiary insects of North America". United States Geological Survey of the Territories, Washington: 615.
  6. ^ Lydekker, R. 1890, Catalogue of the Fossil Reptilia and Amphibia in the British Museum (Natural History), Part IV. Containing the orders Anomodontia, Ecaudata, Caudata, and Labyrinthodonta, and Supplement, p. 1-295.