1846 in paleontology

Last updated October 27, 2025

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 1846.

Pterosaurs

New taxa

Name	Status	Authors		Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Cimoliornis	Nomen dubium	Owen		Middle Cretaceous (Turonian)	Unnamed unit in Chalk Group	UK	A dubious pterosaur.
Rhamphorhynchus	Valid	von Meyer		Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian)	Solnhofen Formation	Germany Portugal Tanzania UK Spain	A rhamphorhynchid pterosaur.	Rhamphorhynchus

Sauropterygians

Newly named plesiosaurs

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Plesiosaurus megacephalus	Valid	Stutchbury	Early Jurassic (Hettangian-Sinemurian)	Blue Lias	UK	A rhomaleosaurid plesiosaur; type species of Atychodracon Smith, 2015.

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.

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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.

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