1881 in paleontology

Paleontology or palaeontology (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 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 1881.

Molluscs

Bivalves

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Fordilla[2]	gen et sp nov	Valid	Barrande	Early Cambrian		USA	early Cambrian bivalve genus	Fordilla troyensis
Nucula ponderata[3]	sp nov	synonym	Barrande	Ordovician		Europe	moved to the genus Concavodonta as C. ponderata in 1972

Dinosaurs

Newly named dinosaurs

Name Status Authors Notes Crataeomus Nomen dubium Harry Govier Seeley Possible subjective synonym of Struthiosaurus. Diracodon Nomen dubium Othniel Charles Marsh Possible subjective synonym of Stegosaurus. Doratodon Misidentification Harry Govier Seeley Misidentified crocodilian. Hallopus Misidentification. Othniel Charles Marsh Misidentified crocodilian. Hoplosaurus Nomen dubium Harry Govier Seeley Possible subjective synonym of Struthiosaurus. Mochlodon Valid Harry Govier Seeley Oligosaurus Nomen dubium Harry Govier Seeley Possible subjective synonym of Rhabdodon. Ornithomerus Jr. synonym Harry Govier Seeley Junior subjective synonym of Rhabdodon. Pleuropeltus Nomen dubium Harry Govier Seeley Possible subjective synonym of Struthiosaurus. Rhadinosaurus Nomen dubium Harry Govier Seeley		Rhabdodon. Stegosaurus.

Pterosaurs

New taxa

Synapsids

Non-mammalian

Name	Status	Authors	Discovery year	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Aelurosaurus	Valid	Owen						Aelurosaurus

Paleontologists

• Death of the Reverend William Fox a significant early collector of dinosaur fossils from the Isle of Wight.^[4]

References

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. ↑ Elicki, O.; Gürsu, S. (2009). "First record of Pojetaia runnegari Jell, 1980 and Fordilla Barrande, 1881 from the Middle East (Taurus Mountains, Turkey) and critical review of Cambrian bivalves" (PDF). Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 83 (2): 267–291. doi:10.1007/s12542-009-0021-9. 
3. ↑ Sánchez, T.M. (1999). "New Late Ordovician (Early Caradoc) Bivalves from the Sierra de Villicum (Argentine Precordillera)". Journal of Paleontology. 73 (1): 66–76. JSTOR 1306745. 
4. ↑ Farlow, James O.; M. K. Brett-Surmann (1999). The Complete Dinosaur. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. p. 15. ISBN 0-253-21313-4.