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.

Crustaceans

New taxa

Taxon	Novelty	Status	Author(s)	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Etallonia [2]	Gen. et. comb. nov.	Valid	Oppel	Jurassic	Solnhofen Limestone	Germany	An axiid, type species is E. longimana, initially described as Magila longimana in 1839.
Pseudastacus [2]	Gen. et. comb. nov.	Valid	Oppel	Jurassic	Solnhofen Limestone	Germany	A stenochirid, type species is P. pustulosus, initially described as Bolina pustulosa in 1839.

Dinosaurs

New taxa

Taxon	Novelty	Status	Author(s)	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Archaeopteryx lithographica [3]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	Meyer	Kimmeridgian	Solnhofen Limestone	Germany	Early bird, only known from a single flight feather. [3]
Echinodon becklesii [4]	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	Owen	Berriasian	Purbeck Beds	UK	Known from multiple jaw and tooth fossils, originally interpreted as a lacertilian. [4] [5]
Teratosaurus suevicus	Gen. et sp. nov.	Valid	von Meyer	Norian	Löwenstein Formation	Germany	Originally interpreted as an early dinosaur, now an early pseudosuchian.

Pterosaurs

New taxa

Taxon	Novelty	Status	Author(s)	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Scaphognathus [6]	Gen. nov.	Valid	Wagner	Kimmeridgian	Solnhofen limestone	Germany	A new genus for Pterodactylus crassirostris Goldfuss, 1831

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. A, Oppel (1861). "Die Arten der Gattungen Eryma, Pseudastacus, Magila und Etallonia" (PDF). Jahreshefte des Vereins für Vaterlandische Naturkunde in Wurttemberg (in German). 17: 355–364.
3. Meyer, H. (1861-09-20). "Archaeopterix lithographica (Vogel-Feder) und Pterydactylus von Solenhofen". Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geognosie, Geologie und Petrefaktenkunde: 678–679.
4. Owen, R. (1861). Monograph on the Fossil Reptilia of the Wealden and Purbeck Formations. Part V. Order Lacertilia. Palaeontographical Society. pp. 31–39.
5. 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.
6. Wagner, J.A. (1861). "Uebersicht über die fossilen Reptilien des lithographischen Schiefers in Bayern nach ihren Gattungen und Arten". Sitzungsberichte der königlich bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu München, 1861 Theil 1: 497–535.