1861 in paleontology

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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 1861.

Dinosaurs

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes
Archaeopteryx^[2]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	Hermann von Meyer	Kimmeridgian	Solnhofen Limestone	Germany	Early bird, only known from a single flight feather.^[2]
Echinodon^[3]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	Sir Richard Owen^[3]	Berriasian	Purbeck Beds	UK	Known from multiple jaw and tooth fossils, originally interpreted as a lacertilian.^[3]^[4]
Teratosaurus	Gen. nov	Valid	Hermann von Meyer			Germany	Misidentified teratosaurid archosaur.

Pterosaurs

New taxa

Name	Status	Authors		Location	Notes	Images
Scaphognathus	Valid	Wagner		China Germany	An Corvid-like Pterosaur.	Scaphognathus.

References

^ 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.
^ ^a ^b Meyer, H. (1861-09-20). "Archaeopterix lithographica (Vogel-Feder) und Pterydactylus von Solenhofen". Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geognosie, Geologie und Petrefaktenkunde: 678–679.
^ ^a ^b ^c Owen, R. (1861). Monograph on the Fossil Reptilia of the Wealden and Purbeck Formations. Part V. Order Lacertilia. Palaeontographical Society. pp. 31–39.
^ Falconer, H. (1861). "Note on the synonymy of the fossil genus Echinodon of Professor Owen". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 8 (46): 341. doi:10.1080/00222936108697425.

[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.

[meyer1861-2] Meyer, H. (1861-09-20). "Archaeopterix lithographica (Vogel-Feder) und Pterydactylus von Solenhofen". Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geognosie, Geologie und Petrefaktenkunde: 678–679.

[owen1861-3] Owen, R. (1861). Monograph on the Fossil Reptilia of the Wealden and Purbeck Formations. Part V. Order Lacertilia. Palaeontographical Society. pp. 31–39.

[falconer1861-4] Falconer, H. (1861). "Note on the synonymy of the fossil genus Echinodon of Professor Owen". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 8 (46): 341. doi:10.1080/00222936108697425.

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