1868 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 1868.

Arthropoda

Newly named crustaceans

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes
Astacus politus^[2]	Sp nov	Jr synonym	Schlüter	Early Cretaceous	Bückeberg Formation	Germany	Moved to the genus Protastacus in 1983.
Enoploclytia paucispina^[2]	Sp nov	Valid	Schlüter			Germany	An erymid.
Eurycarpus^[2]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Schlüter			Germany	A decapod, type species is E. nanodactylus.
Hoploparia macrodactyla^[2]	Sp nov	Valid	Schlüter			Germany	A lobster
Necrocarcinus senonensis^[2]	Sp nov	Valid	Schlüter			Germany	A necrocarcinid.
Palaeocorystes laevis^[2]	Sp nov	Jr synonym	Schlüter	Late Cretaceous (Upper Santonian)		Germany	Moved to Bournelyreidus in 2012.
Squilla cretacea^[2]	Sp nov	Valid	Schlüter	Cretaceous		Germany	A mantis shrimp

Newly named insects

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Aphaenogaster berendti^[3]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Mayr	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	A myrmicine ant. Moved to Stenamma berendti in 1915	Stenamma berendti
Aphaenogaster sommerfeldti^[3]	Sp nov	valid	Mayr	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	A myrmicine ant.	Aphaenogaster sommerfeldti
Camponotus constrictus^[3]	Sp nov	Jr synonym	Mayr	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil formicine ant., moved to Formica constrictus in 1915 Synonym of Cataglyphoides constrictus	Cataglyphoides constrictus
Camponotus mengei^[3]	Sp nov	valid	Mayr	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil formicine ant.	Camponotus mengei
Enneamerus^[3]	Gen et 2 sp nov	valid	Mayr	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	A myrmecine ant. 2 species	Enneamerus reticulatus
Formica flori^[3]	Sp nov	valid	Mayr	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil formicine ant	Formica flori
Hypoclinea balticus^[3]	Sp nov	Jr synonym	Mayr	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil Dolichoderine ant, moved to Dolichoderus balticus in 1893	Dolichoderus balticus
Hypoclinea constricta^[3]	Sp nov	Jr synonym	Mayr	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil Dolichoderine ant, jr synonym of Yantaromyrmex constricta	Yantaromyrmex constricta
Hypoclinea cornuta^[3]	Sp nov	Jr synonym	Mayr	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil Dolichoderine ant, moved to Dolichoderus cornutus in 1893	Dolichoderus cornutus
Hypoclinea geinitzi^[3]	Sp nov	Jr synonym	Mayr	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil Dolichoderine ant, jr synonym of Yantaromyrmex geinitzi	Yantaromyrmex geinitzi
Hypoclinea goepperti^[3]	Sp nov	Jr synonym	Mayr	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil Dolichoderine ant, moved to Bothriomyrmex goepperti in 1893, jr synonym of Ctenobethylus goepperti	Ctenobethylus goepperti
Hypoclinea longipennis^[3]	Sp nov	Jr synonym	Mayr	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil Dolichoderine ant, moved to Dolichoderus longipennis in 1893	Dolichoderus longipennis
Hypoclinea sculpturata^[3]	Sp nov	Jr synonym	Mayr	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil Dolichoderine ant, moved to Dolichoderus sculpturata in 1893	Dolichoderus sculpturatus
Hypoclinea tertiaria^[3]	Sp nov	Jr synonym	Mayr	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil Dolichoderine ant, moved to Dolichoderus tertiaria in 1893	Dolichoderus tertiarius
Myrmica duisburgi^[3]	sp nov	jr synonym	Mayr	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil Agroecomyrmecine ant, moved to Agroecomyrmex duisburgi in 1910	Myrmica duisburgi
Pheidologeton antiquus^[3]	sp nov	jr synonym	Mayr	Middle Eocene	Baltic amber	Europe	Fossil myrmicine ant, moved to Aeromyrma antiqua in 1891 Synonym of Carebara antiqua	Carebara antiqua
Ponera succinea^[3]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Mayr	Middle Eocene	Baltic Amber	Europe	A ponerine ant, moved to Pachycondyla succinea in 1995	Pachycondyla succinea
Prenolepis pygmaea^[4]	Sp nov	Jr synonym	Mayr	Middle Eocene	European amber	Europe	Fossil formicine ant, jr synonym of Nylanderia pygmaea	Nylanderia pygmaea
Stigmomyrmex^[3]	Gen et sp nov	valid	Mayr	Middle Eocene	European amber	Europe	A myrmicin ant. Type species S. venustus	Stigmomyrmex venustus

Archosauromorphs

Newly named dinosaurs

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Aublysodon	Gen et sp nov	Nomen dubium	Leidy	Late Cretaceous	Judith River Formation	USA ( Montana)	Possible subjective synonym of Albertosaurus or Deinodon.	Aublysodon may be a synonym of Albertosaurus.
Diplotomodon	Gen nov	Nomen dubium	Leidy	Late Cretaceous	Navesink Formation or Hornerstown Formation	USA ( New Jersey)	Possible subjective synonym of Dryptosaurus.

Plesiosaurs

New taxa

Name	Status	Authors		Notes
Elasmosaurus	Valid	Cope

Synapsids

Non-mammalian

Name	Status	Authors	Discovery year	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Pristerodon	Valid	Huxley

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.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g von der Marck, W.; Schlüter, C. (1868). Neue fische und krebse aus der kreide von Westphalen (PDF). Stuttgart: Palaeontographica. pp. 269–305. OCLC 39999779.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r Wheeler, W. M. (1915). "The ants of the Baltic amber". Schriften der Physikalisch-Okonomischen Gesellschaft zu Konigsberg. 55 (4): 56–59.
^ LaPolla, J.S.; Dlussky, G.M. (2010). "Review of fossil Prenolepis genus-group species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 112 (2): 258–273.

[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.

[:0-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g von der Marck, W.; Schlüter, C. (1868). Neue fische und krebse aus der kreide von Westphalen (PDF). Stuttgart: Palaeontographica. pp. 269–305. OCLC 39999779.

[Wheeler1915-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r Wheeler, W. M. (1915). "The ants of the Baltic amber". Schriften der Physikalisch-Okonomischen Gesellschaft zu Konigsberg. 55 (4): 56–59.

[LaPolla2010-4] LaPolla, J.S.; Dlussky, G.M. (2010). "Review of fossil Prenolepis genus-group species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 112 (2): 258–273.

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