1865 in paleontology
# 1865 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 1865.

## Newly named archosauromorphs

### Newly named basal archosauromorphs

| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Ankistrodon | Nomen dubium | Thomas Henry Huxley | | Early Triassic | Panchet Formation | India | A proterosuchid. |

### Newly named dinosaurs

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Coelosaurus | Preoccupied. | Joseph Leidy | Late Cretaceous (early Maastrichtian) | Navesink Formation | US New Jersey | An ornithomimid. Preoccupied by Owen 1854. | |
| Megadactylus | Preoccupied | Hitchcock | Early Jurassic | Portland Formation | US | Preoccupied by Fitzinger, 1843. Later renamed Amphisaurus. | |
| Polacanthus | Valid | Sir Richard Owen vide Anonymous. | Early Cretaceous (Barremian) | Wessex Formation | UK | A polacanthine ankylosaur. | Polacanthus. |
| Tomodon | Preoccupied. | Joseph Leidy | Late Cretaceous (early Maastrichtian) | Navesink Formation | US | Preoccupied by Duméril 1853 Later renamed Diplotomodon. | |

## Plesiosaurs

### Newly named plesiosaurs

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Piratosaurus | Nomen dubium | Leidy | Late Cretaceous (Santonian) | | | A dubious plesiosaur. |
| Plesiosaurus homalospondylus | Valid | Sir Richard Owen | Early Jurassic (Toarcian) | Alum shale | UK | A Microcleididae plesiosaur. Type species of Microcleidus Watson, 1909. |
| Plesiosaurus rostratus | Valid | Sir Richard Owen | Early Jurassic (Hettangian-Sinemurian) | Charmouth Mudstone | UK | A rhomaleosaurid plesiosaur. Type species of Archaeonectrus Novozhilov, 1964. |
