1859 in paleontology

Overview of the events of 1859 in paleontology

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In science: 1856; 1857; 1858; 1859; 1860; 1861; 1862

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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 1859.

Dinosaurs

Newly named dinosaurs

Name	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes
Astrodon^[2]	Valid	Johnston	Early Cretaceous (Aptian/Albian boundary)	Arundel Formation	United States ( Maryland)	An indeterminate titanosauriform.	Astrodon.
Compsognathus	Valid	Wagner	Late Jurassic (Tithonian)	Solnhofen Limestone	Germany France	A compsognathid.	Compsognathus.
Hadrosaurus^[3]	Valid	Joseph Leidy	Late Cretaceous (early Campanian)	Woodbury Formation	United States New Jersey	A hadrosaurid.
Scelidosaurus^[4]	Valid	Sir Richard Owen	Early Jurassic (Hettangian-Sinemurian)	Blue Lias	UK	A basal thyreophoran.	Scelidosaurus.

Pterosaurs

New taxa

Name	Age	Location	Notes	Images
Dimorphodon	195 Millions years ago	Mexico UK Antarctica	A dimorphodontid; new generic name for Pterodactylus macronyx. A shellfish-eating Pterosaur.	Dimorphodon

Synapsids

Non-mammalian

Genus	Age	Location	Notes	Images
Galesaurus	252 Millions of years ago	South Africa

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.
^ Johnston, C. 1859. Note on odontography. Amer. J. Dent. Sci. 9: pp. 337-343
^ Leidy, J. 1859. Extinct vertebrata from the Judith River and Great Lignite Formations of Nebraska. American Philosophical Society Transactions 11:pp. 139-154.
^ Owen, R. 1859. On the order of fossil and recent reptilia, and their distribution in time. Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science: pp. 153-166.