1909 in paleontology
# 1909 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 1909.

## Arthropods

### Newly named insects

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Etoptychoptera | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Handlirsch | Ypresian | Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | An etoptychopterine phantom cranefly. Type species E. tertiaria. | Etoptychoptera tertiaria (1910 illustration) |
| Raphidia exhumata | Sp nov | jr synonym | Cockerell | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | A raphidiid snakefly Moved to Megaraphidia exhumata in 2014 | Megaraphidia exhumata |
| Protanyderus | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Handlirsch | Jurassic | | Mongolia | A tanyderine phantom cranefly. | |

## Archosauromorphs

### Newly named dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.

| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Hierosaurus | Valid taxon | Wieland | | Late Cretaceous (Coniacian-Santonian) | Niobrara Formation | United States ( Kansas) | A nodosaurid. | |

## Plesiosaurs

### New taxa

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Picrocleidus | Valid | Andrews | Callovian | Oxford Clay Formation | UK | A cryptoclidid. | |
| Simolestes | Valid | Andrews | Callovian | Oxford Clay Formation | France  India  UK | A thalassophonean pliosaurid. | Simolestes |
| Tricleidus | Valid | Andrews | Callovian | Oxford Clay Formation | Norway  UK | A cryptoclidid. | |

## Synapsids

### Non-mammalian

| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Bauria | Valid | Robert Broom | | Early Triassic | Cynognathus Assemblage Zone | South Africa | A bauriid theriodont. | Bauria |

## People

* Death of Harry Govier Seeley, the paleontologist who invented the Saurischian/Ornithischian dinosaur dichotomy.
