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1840 in paleontology

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List of years in paleontology (table)
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1837
1838
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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 1840.

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.]