In science: 1871; 1872; 1873; 1874; 1875; 1876; 1877

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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 1874.

Dinosaurs

Publications

Richard Owen publishes a monograph on Wealden and Purbeck reptiles, classifying Scelidosaurus, Iguanodon and Echinodon in the new dinosaur clade Prionodontia.^[2]

Newly named dinosaurs

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes
Cionodon	Nomen dubium	Edward Drinker Cope	Late Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian)	Laramie Formation	US Colorado	A hadrosaurid.
Craterosaurus	Nomen dubium	Harry Govier Seeley	Early Cretaceous	Potton Sands	England	A dubious stegosaur.
Ischyrosaurus	Preoccupied.	Hulke, 1874	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian)	Kimmeridge Clay	UK	Preoccupied by Edward Drinker Cope, 1869.
Morinosaurus	Nomen dubium	Sauvage	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian)	Unnamed unit	France	A dubious sauropod.
Polyonax	Jr. synonym	Edward Drinker Cope	Late Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian)	Laramie Formation	US	Junior subjective synonym of Triceratops.

Ichthyosaurs

New taxa

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Ophthalmosaurus	Valid	Seeley	Middle Jurassic (Callovian)	Oxford Clay Formation	UK	An ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur.

Plesiosaurs

New taxa

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes
Colymbosaurus	Valid	Seeley	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian)	Kimmeridge Clay	UK	A cryptoclidid, new genus for "Plesiosaurus" megadeirus Seeley, 1869
Eretmosaurus	Valid	Seeley	Early Jurassic (Hettangian-Sinemurian)	Blue Lias	UK	A member of Microcleididae; new genus for "Plesiosaurus" rugosus Owen, 1840.
Mauisaurus	Valid	Hector	Late Cretaceous (late Campanian-Maastrichtian)	Conway Formation	New Zealand	An elasmosaurid.
Muraenosaurus	Valid	Seeley	Middle Jurassic (Callovian)	Oxford Clay	UK	A cryptoclidid.
Rhomaleosaurus	Valid	Seeley	Early Jurassic (Toarcian)	Whitby Mudstone Formation	UK	A rhomaleosaurid; new genus for "Plesiosaurus" cramptoni Carte and Bailey, 1863

Pterosaurs

Newly named pterosaurs

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Coloborhynchus	Valid	Owen	Early Cretaceous (Valanginian)	Wadhurst Clay Formation	UK	A member of Ornithocheiridae.
Criorhynchus	Jr. synonym	Owen				Jr. synonym of Ornithocheirus.

Squamates

Newly named mosasaurs

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Taniwhasaurus	Valid	Hector	Late Campanian	Conway Formation	New Zealand Japan Antarctica	A tylosaurine mosasaurid.	Taniwhasaurus oweni

Dinosaurs

Publications

Newly named dinosaurs

Ichthyosaurs

New taxa

Plesiosaurs

New taxa

Pterosaurs

Newly named pterosaurs

Squamates

Newly named mosasaurs

References