1840 in paleontology

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1837
1838
1839
1840
1841
1842
1843

Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. 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.

Anapsids

Newly named anapsids

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

Newly named basal archosauromorphs

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

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.

Name Status Authors Notes

Hylosaurus

Valid

Fitzinger

Junior synonym of Hylaeosaurus.

Therosaurus

Valid

Fitzinger

An iguanodont. New name for "Iguanodon" mantelli von Meyer (1832) (=Iguanodon anglicus Holl (1829)).

Plesiosaurs

Newly named plesiosaurs

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

Newly named cetaceans

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes

Squalodon

Valid taxon.

Grateloup

Early Miocene (Burdigalian)

Unnamed unit

 France

A squalodontid.


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