1874 in paleontology
# 1874 in paleontology

Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. 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 1874.

## Dinosaurs

### Publications

* Richard Owen publishes a monograph on Wealden and Purbeck reptiles, classifying Scelidosaurus, Iguanodon and Echinodon in the new dinosaur clade Prionodontia.

### Newly named dinosaurs

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Cionodon | Nomen dubium | Edward Drinker Cope | Late Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) | Laramie Formation | US  Colorado | A hadrosaurid. |
| Craterosaurus | Nomen dubium | Harry Govier Seeley | Early Cretaceous | Potton Sands | England | A dubious stegosaur. |
| Ischyrosaurus | Preoccupied. | Hulke, 1874 | Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) | Kimmeridge Clay | UK | Preoccupied by Edward Drinker Cope, 1869. |
| Morinosaurus | Nomen dubium | Sauvage | Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) | Unnamed unit | France | A dubious sauropod. |
| Polyonax | Jr. synonym | Edward Drinker Cope | Late Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) | Laramie Formation | US | Junior subjective synonym of Triceratops. |

## Ichthyosaurs

### New taxa

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Ophthalmosaurus | Valid | Seeley | Middle Jurassic (Callovian) | Oxford Clay Formation | UK | An ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur. |

## Plesiosaurs

### New taxa

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Colymbosaurus | Valid | Seeley | Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) | Kimmeridge Clay | UK | A cryptoclidid, new genus for "Plesiosaurus" megadeirus Seeley, 1869 |
| Eretmosaurus | Valid | Seeley | Early Jurassic (Hettangian-Sinemurian) | Blue Lias | UK | A member of Microcleididae; new genus for "Plesiosaurus" rugosus Owen, 1840. |
| Mauisaurus | Valid | Hector | Late Cretaceous (late Campanian-Maastrichtian) | Conway Formation | New Zealand | An elasmosaurid. |
| Muraenosaurus | Valid | Seeley | Middle Jurassic (Callovian) | Oxford Clay | UK | A cryptoclidid. |
| Rhomaleosaurus | Valid | Seeley | Early Jurassic (Toarcian) | Whitby Mudstone Formation | UK | A rhomaleosaurid; new genus for "Plesiosaurus" cramptoni Carte and Bailey, 1863 |

## Pterosaurs

### Newly named pterosaurs

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Coloborhynchus | Valid | Owen | Early Cretaceous (Valanginian) | Wadhurst Clay Formation | UK | A member of Ornithocheiridae. | |
| Criorhynchus | Jr. synonym | Owen | | | | Jr. synonym of Ornithocheirus. | |

## Squamates

### Newly named mosasaurs

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Taniwhasaurus | Valid | Hector | Late Campanian | Conway Formation | New Zealand  Japan  Antarctica | A tylosaurine mosasaurid. | Taniwhasaurus oweni |
