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 1870.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1867
1868
1869
1870
1871
1872
1873
+...

Arthropods

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Newly named insects

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Bibio lartetii[2]

Sp. nov

jr synonym

Oustalet, 1870

Oligocene

  France

A bibionid,
moved to Plecia larteti in 2017

 
Plecia larteti

Protomyia lugens[2]

Sp nov

jr synonym

Oustalet, 1870

Oligocene

  France

A bibionid,
moved to Penthetria lugens in 2017

 
Penthetria lugens

"Fish"

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Asineops'[3]

Gen et Sp nov

valid

Cope

Eocene
Ypresian

Green River Formation

  US
  Wyoming

A fish of possibly Percopsiformes affiliation.
The type species is A. squamifrons

 
Asineops squamifrons

Cyprinodon levatus[3]

Sp nov

Jr synonym

Cope

Eocene
Ypresian

Green River Formation

  US
  Wyoming

A percopsid fish
Moved to Erismatopterus levatus in 1871

 
Erismatopterus levatus

Turtles

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Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Pneumatoarthrus[4]

Gen et sp nov

valid

Cope

Cretaceous
Maastrichtian

Mount Laurel Formation

  US
  New Jersey

First identified as a possible basal sauropod.
Reidentified as a protostegid marine turtle.
The type species is P. peloreus

 
Pneumatoarthrus

Archosauromorphs

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Newly named birds

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Name Status Authors Location Notes

Laornis

Misidentification.

Marsh

  USA
  New Jersey

Misidentified bird.
The type species is L. edvardsianus

Newly named non-avian dinosaurs

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Name Status Authors Location Notes Images

Antrodemus

Nomen dubium

Joseph Leidy

Possible subjective synonym of Allosaurus.

Ornithopsis

Nomen dubium

Harry Govier Seeley

Earlier it was believed that the fossils were those of a pterosaur. But now it is known that they were the bones of a Sauropod.

Struthiosaurus

Valid

Bunzel

A dwarf ankylosaur.

Plesiosaurs

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New taxa

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Name Status Authors Location Notes

Taphrosaurus

Valid

Cope

Uronautes

Valid

Cope

Pterosaurs

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New taxa

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Name Status Authors Location Notes Images

Amblydectes

Jr. synonym.

Seeley

Junior synonym of Coloborhynchus.

Cycnorhamphus

Valid

Seeley

  Germany
 
Cycnorhamphus

Rhabdopelix

Misidentification

Cope

At first it was thought to be a Triassic pterosaur, but is now known to be (at least in part) a kuehneosaurid

Synapsids

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Non-mammalian

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Name Status Authors Age Location Notes Images

Lystrosaurus

Valid

Cope

252 million years ago. It was a protomammal that had fangs very similar to those of a walrus.
 
Lystrosaurus

References

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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.
  2. ^ a b Skartveit, J.; Nel, A. (2017). "Revision of fossil Bibionidae (Insecta: Diptera) from French Oligocene deposits". Zootaxa. 4225 (1): 1–83. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4225.1.1. PMID 28187637.
  3. ^ a b Grande, L. (1984). "Paleontology of the Green River Formation, with a review of the fish fauna". Bulletin of the Wyoming State Geological Survey. 63 2nd ed. Laramie, Wyoming.
  4. ^ Cope, 1870. Observations on the Reptilia of the Triassic formations of the Atlantic region of the United States. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society. 11, 444-446.