1878 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
	Art; Archaeology; Architecture; Literature; Music; ; Science +...;

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 1878.

Arthropods[]

Newly named arachnids[]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
^[2]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Scudder	?Ypresian	Quesnel ?	Canada British Columbia	An orb-web spider egg sack ichnogenus. moved to (2011).^[3]	(1890 illustration

Newly named insects[]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
^[2]	Gen et Sp nov	valid	Scudder	?Ypresian	Quesnel ?	Canada British Columbia	A possibly ^[4] hemerobiid lacewing. Type species B. lachlani	(1890 illustration)
^[2]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Scudder	?Ypresian	Quesnel ?	Canada British Columbia	A shield bug moved to (1890).^[5]	(1890 illustration)
Holcorpa^[6]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Scudder	Priabonian	Florissant Formation	USA	A scorpionfly, type species H. maculosa.
^[2]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Scudder	?Ypresian	Quesnel ?	Canada British Columbia	An aphidoid of uncertain placement Moved to (1890).^[5]	(1890 illustration)
^[2]	Sp nov	valid	Scudder	?Ypresian	Quesnel ?	Canada British Columbia	A dark-winged fungus gnat.	(1890 illustration)

Archosauromorphs[]

O. W. Lucas recovers more material which would be referred to Laelaps trihedrodon from Morrison Formation strata near Garden Park, Colorado.^[7]

Newly named pseudosuchians[]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Symphyrophus		Nomen dubium	Cope	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	USA	Possible synonym of Amphicotylus.^[8]

Newly named dinosaurs[]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Amphicoelias fragillimus	Sp nov	Jr. synonym	Marsh	Late Jurassic (Tithonian)	Unknown	USA	Moved to Maraapunisaurus fragillimus (2018).^[9]	Maraapunisaurus fragillimus
Brachyrophus	Gen nov	jr synonym	Cope	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	USA	Junior synonym of Camptosaurus.	Camptosaurus dispar
Creosaurus	Gen nov	Junior synonym	Marsh	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	USA	Synonym of Allosaurus fragilis.	Allosaurus fragilis
Diplodocus	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Marsh	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	USA	A diplodocine diplodocid. Type species D. longus	Diplodocus carnegii
Epanterias	Gen et sp nov	Nomen dubium	Cope	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	USA Colorado	An allosaurid theropod. Possibly a synonym of Allosaurus. Type species E. amplexus
Hypsirhophus	Gen et sp nov	Nomen dubium	Cope	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	USA Colorado	possibly a synonym of Stegosaurus. Type species H. discurus
Laosaurus	Gen et sp nov	Nomen dubium	Marsh	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	USA Colorado	A dubious Neornithischine of uncertain placement.	Laosaurus
Morosaurus	Gen et sp nov	Jr. synonym	Marsh	Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian)	Morrison Formation	USA Colorado	Junior synonym of Camarasaurus. Type species M. grandis	Camarasaurus lentus

Plesiosaurs[]

Newly named plesiosaurs[]

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Eurysaurus	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Gaudry	Early Jurassic	Unknown	France	A possible pliosauroid Type species E. raincourti

Synapsids[]

Non-mammalian[]

Name	Status	Notes
Dimetrodon	Valid	USA Texas
Embolophorus	Valid
Ophiacodon	Valid
Sphenacodon	Valid
Theropleura	Valid

Footnotes[]

^ 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.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Scudder, S. H (1878). "Additions to the Insect-fauna of the Tertiary beds at Quesnel, British Columbia". Geological Survey of Canada, Report of Progress for. 1876–1877: 457–464.
^ Dunlop, J.A.; Braddy, S.J. (2011). "Cteniza bavincourti and the nomenclature of arachnid-related trace fossils". The Journal of Arachnology. 39: 250–257.
^ Makarkin, V.; Wedmann, S.; Weiterschan, T. (2016). "A new genus of Hemerobiidae (Neuroptera) from Baltic amber, with a critical review of the Cenozoic Megalomus-like taxa and remarks on the wing venation variability of the family". Zootaxa. 4179 (3): 345–370. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4179.3.2.
^ ^a ^b Scudder, S. H. (1890). "The Tertiary insects of North America". United States Geological Survey of the Territories, Washington: 615.
^ Archibald, SB (2010). "Revision of the scorpionfly family Holcorpidae (Mecoptera), with description of a new species from Early Eocene McAbee, British Columbia, Canada" (PDF). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France. 46 (1–2): 173–182. doi:10.1080/00379271.2010.10697654.
^ "Introduction," Chure (2001) page 11.
^ 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.
^ Carpenter, K. (2018). "Maraapunisaurus fragillimus, n.g. (formerly Amphicoelias fragillimus), a basal Rebbachisaurid from the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic) of Colorado". Geology of the Intermountain West. 5 (9): 227–244. ISSN 2380-7601.

References[]

Chure, Daniel J. (2001). "On the type and referred material of Laelaps trihedrodon Cope 1877 (Dinosauria: Theropoda)". In Tanke, Darren; Carpenter, Kenneth (eds.). Mesozoic Vertebrate Life. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. pp. 10–18. ISBN 0-253-33907-3.

[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.

[Quesnel1878-2] Scudder, S. H (1878). "Additions to the Insect-fauna of the Tertiary beds at Quesnel, British Columbia". Geological Survey of Canada, Report of Progress for. 1876–1877: 457–464.

[Trace2011-3] Dunlop, J.A.; Braddy, S.J. (2011). "Cteniza bavincourti and the nomenclature of arachnid-related trace fossils". The Journal of Arachnology. 39: 250–257.

[Makarkin2016-4] Makarkin, V.; Wedmann, S.; Weiterschan, T. (2016). "A new genus of Hemerobiidae (Neuroptera) from Baltic amber, with a critical review of the Cenozoic Megalomus-like taxa and remarks on the wing venation variability of the family". Zootaxa. 4179 (3): 345–370. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4179.3.2.

[Scudder1890-5] Scudder, S. H. (1890). "The Tertiary insects of North America". United States Geological Survey of the Territories, Washington: 615.

[Archibald2010-6] Archibald, SB (2010). "Revision of the scorpionfly family Holcorpidae (Mecoptera), with description of a new species from Early Eocene McAbee, British Columbia, Canada" (PDF). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France. 46 (1–2): 173–182. doi:10.1080/00379271.2010.10697654.

[chure-11-7] "Introduction," Chure (2001) page 11.

[8] 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.

[9] Carpenter, K. (2018). "Maraapunisaurus fragillimus, n.g. (formerly Amphicoelias fragillimus), a basal Rebbachisaurid from the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic) of Colorado". Geology of the Intermountain West. 5 (9): 227–244. ISSN 2380-7601.

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