1878 in paleontology

List of years in paleontology
... 1868 ^. 1869 ^. 1870 ^. 1871 ^. 1872 ^. 1873 ^. 1874 ... 1875 1876 1877 -1878- 1879 1880 1881 ... 1882 ^. 1883 ^. 1884 ^. 1885 ^. 1886 ^. 1887 ^. 1888 ... In science: 1875 1876 1877 -1878- 1879 1880 1881
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Paleontology, palaeontology or palæontology (from Greek: paleo, "ancient"; ontos, "being"; and logos, "knowledge") 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 mankind has 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 1878.

Expeditions, field work, and fossil discoveries

O. W. Lucas recovered more material which would be referred to Laelaps trihedrodon from Morrison Formation strata near Garden Park, Colorado.^[2]

Scientific advances

Vertebrate paleozoology

Non-mammalian synapsids described in 1878

Name	Status	Authors	Discovery year	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Dimetrodon	Valid
Embolophorus	Valid
Ophiacodon	Valid
Sphenacodon	Valid
Theropleura	Valid

Plesiosaurs described in 1878

Name	Status	Authors		Age	Unit	Location	Notes
Eurysaurus	Valid	Gaudry		Early Jurassic	Unknown	France

Pseudosuchians described in 1878

Name	Status	Authors		Age	Unit	Location	Notes
Symphyrophus	Nomen dubium	Edward Drinker Cope		Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	US	Possibly a synonym of Amphicotylus.^[3]

Prehistoric dinosaurs described in 1878

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes
Brachyrophus	Valid	Edward Drinker Cope	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	US	Junior subjective synonym of Camptosaurus.
Creosaurus	Junior synonym	Othniel Charles Marsh	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	US	Synonym of Allosaurus.
Diplodocus	Valid	Othniel Charles Marsh	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	US	A diplodocine diplodocid.
Epanterias	Nomen dubium	Edward Drinker Cope				Possible subjective synonym of Allosaurus or Saurophaganax.
Hypsirophus	Junior synonym	Edward Drinker Cope	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	US	Synonym of Stegosaurus.
Laosaurus	Nomen dubium	Othniel Charles Marsh	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	US
Morosaurus	Jr. synonym	Othniel Charles Marsh	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	US	Junior subjective synonym of Camarasaurus.

People

Births

William Edmund Cutler was born in England.^[4]

Awards and recognition

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.
↑ Chure, Daniel J. (2001). "On the type and referred material of Laelaps trihedrodon Cope 1877 (Dinosauria: Theropoda)". In Tanke, Darren; and Carpenter, Kenneth (eds.). Mesozoic Vertebrate Life. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. pp. 10–18. ISBN 0-253-33907-3.
↑ Osborn, H.F., and Mook, C. C. (1921). "Camarasaurus, Amphicoelias and other sauropods of Cope." Memoirs of the American Museum of Natural History NS, 3(3): 249–387.
↑ D. H. Tanke. 2010. Lost in plain sight: rediscovery of William E. Cutler's missing Eoceratops. In M. J. Ryan, B. J. Chinnery-Allgeier, D. A. Eberth (eds.), New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs: The Royal Tyrrell Museum Ceratopsian Symposium. Indiana University Press, Bloomington 541-550.