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.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
+...

Plants

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Ferns and allies

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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

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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

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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

Archosauromorphs

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Newly named phytosaurs

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Rileya[3]

Gen. et sp. nov

Preoccupied

von Huene

Rhaetian

A junior homonym of Rileya Ashmead, 1888 (hymenopteran). Renamed Rileyasuchus Kuhn, 1961.

Newly named dinosaurs

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

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes
Dacentrurus[5] Gen. nov. Valid taxon Frederic Augustus Lucas Late Jurassic, Kimmeridgian Kimmeridge Clay   France,   Spain,   Portugal,   UK A dacentrurine stegosaurid. New name for Omosaurus armatus Owen, 1875 non Leidy, 1856.  
Didanodon[6] Gen. nov. Nomen nudum Henry Fairfield Osborn Late Cretaceous, Campanian Dinosaur Park Formation   Canada A dubious hadrosaurid, possibly Lambeosaurus. Didanodon was a new genus name for Trachodon altidens Lambe, 1902.
Elosaurus parvus[7] Gen. et sp. nov. Junior synonym O.A. Peterson & Charles Whitney Gilmore Late Jurassic, Kimmeridgian Morrison Formation   US Genus is a junior synonym of Brontosaurus, while the species has been reassigned as Brontosaurus parvus.  
Hoplitosaurus[5] Gen. nov. Valid taxon Frederic Augustus Lucas Early Cretaceous, Barremian Lakota Formation   USA New genus name for Stegosaurus marshi (Lucas, 1901).  
Onychosaurus[8]

gen et sp nov

Nomen dubium

Nopcsa

Late Cretaceous

A dubious name that may be a synonym of Zalmoxes.

Stegoceras[9]

gen et sp nov

Valid taxon

Lambe

Late Cretaceous

Belly River Group

  Canada,   USA

A pachycephalosaur.

 

Stereocephalus[9]

gen et sp nov

Preoccupied

Lambe

Late Cretaceous

Belly River Group

Later renamed Euoplocephalus.

Protorosaurs

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Procerosaurus[3]

gen et sp nov

jr synonym

jr synonym of Tanystropheus.

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 e f Penhallow, D. P. (1902). "Notes on Cretaceous and Tertiary plants of Canada.". Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada. 1902-03. 2. Vol. 8 (sect 4). Ottawa, Canada: Royal Society of Canada. pp. 31–91.
  3. ^ a b Huene, F. von. 1902. Ubersicht uber die Reptilien der Trias. Geologische und Palaeontologische Abhandlungne, n. f. 6 (1): 83 pages.
  4. ^ Olshevsky, George. "Dinogeorge's Dinosaur Genera List". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  5. ^ a b Lucas, F.A. (1902). "Paleontological notes: The generic name Omosaurus. A new generic name for Stegosaurus marshi". Science. 16 (402): 435.
  6. ^ Osborn, H.F. (1902). "On Vertebrata of the Mid-Cretaceous of the Northwest Territory. I:Distinctive characters of the Mid-Cretaceous fauna". Contributions to Canadian Paleontology. 3 (4): 1–21.
  7. ^ Peterson, O.A.; Gilmore, C.W. (1902). "Elosaurus parvus a new genus and species of Sauropoda". Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 1: 490–499.
  8. ^ Nopcsa, F. (1902). "Notizen uber Cretacische Dinosaurier (Mochlodon u. Onychosaurus)". Anzeiger der Akademie der Wissenschaften, Mathnat. Kl. Wien. 39: 42–44.
  9. ^ a b Lambe, L.M. 1902. New genera and species from the Belly River Series (mid-Cretaceous). Contrib. Canadian Palaeonto1. Geol. Surv. Can. 3: pp. 25-81.