# 1869 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 1869.

## Insects
### New taxa

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Elephantomyia brevipalpa | comb. nov | Valid | (Loew) Osten-Sacken | Middle Eocene | Baltic amber | Germany  Poland  Russia | A Limoniid cranefly, | Elephantomyia brevipalpa |
| Elephantomyia longirostris | comb. nov | Valid | (Loew) Osten-Sacken | Middle Eocene | Baltic amber | Poland  Russia | A Limoniid cranefly, | Elephantomyia longirostris |
| Elephantomyia pulchella | comb. nov | Valid | (Loew) Osten-Sacken | Middle Eocene | Baltic amber | Poland  Russia | A Limoniid cranefly, | Elephantomyia pulchella |

## Reptiles
### Turtles
#### New taxa

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Rhinochelys | Gen. nov. | Valid | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new genus for Chelone pulchriceps Owen, 1851. |
| "Rhinochelys mastocephalus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of turtle. |
| "Rhinochelys eurycephalus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of turtle. |
| "Rhinochelys stenicephalus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of turtle. |
| "Rhinochelys cardiocephalus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of turtle. |
| "Rhinochelys sphenicephalus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of turtle. |
| "Rhinochelys dayi" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of turtle. |
| "Rhinochelys platyrhinus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of turtle. |
| "Rhinochelys rheporhinus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of turtle. |
| "Rhinochelys graptocephalus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of turtle. |
| "Rhinochelys dacognathus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of turtle. |
| "Rhinochelys colognathus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of turtle. |
| "Rhinochelys dimerognathus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of turtle. |
| "Rhinochelys gryphus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of turtle. |
| "Rhinochelys platycephalus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of turtle. |
| "Rhinochelys leptognathus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of turtle. |
| "Emys sphenognathus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of Emys. |
| Trachydermochelys phlyctaenus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | |
| "Testudo cantabrigiensis" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of Testudo. |
| Pleurosternon sedgwicki | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Berriasian | Purbeck Group | England | A species of Pleurosternon. |
| Pleurosternon vansittarti | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Berriasian | Purbeck Group | England | A species of Pleurosternon. |
| Pleurosternon oweni | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Berriasian | Purbeck Group | England | A species of Pleurosternon. |
| Pleurosternon typocardium | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Berriasian | Purbeck Group | England | A species of Pleurosternon. |
| Enaliochelys chelonia | Gen. et sp. nov. | Jr. synonym | Seeley | Kimmeridgian | Kimmeridge Clay Formation | England | Synonym of Achelonia. |

### Crocodylomorphs
#### New taxa

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| "Crocodilus cantabrigiensis" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of Crocodilus. | |
| "Dakosaurus lissocephalus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Kimmeridgian | Kimmeridge Clay Formation | England | An informal species of Dakosaurus. | |

### Dinosaurs
#### New taxa

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| "Cryptosaurus eumerus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Oxfordian | Oxford Clay Formation | England | An informal designation for an informal species of dinosaur known from a femur. Named in 1875. |
| Gigantosaurus megalonyx | Gen. et sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Kimmeridgian | Kimmeridge Clay Formation | England | A possible chimaera of non-ichthyosaur, plesiosaur, crocodilian, or turtle remains. |
| Hypselosaurus priscus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Matheron | Maastrichtian | Grès à Reptiles | France | Originally believed to be a crocodilian, now a sauropod. |
| Hypsibema crassicauda | Gen. et sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Campanian | Tar Heel Formation | North Carolina | |
| Hypsilophodon foxii | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Huxley | Barremian | Wessex Formation | England | A small and agile ornithopod. |
| Ornithotarsus immanis | Gen. et sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Campanian | Merchantville Formation | New Jersey | A hadrosaurid. |
| Rhabdodon priscus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Matheron | Maastrichtian | Grès à Reptiles | France | A dwarf relative of Iguanodon. |
| "Acanthopholis platypus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of Acanthopholis. |
| "Acanthopholis macrocercus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of Acanthopholis. |
| "Acanthopholis stereocercus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of Acanthopholis. |
| "Macrurosaurus semnus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal genus and informal species of dinosaur. |
| "Iguanodon phillipsi" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Barremian | Wealden Group | England | An informal species of Iguanodon. Later named Priodontognathus. |

### Birds
#### New taxa

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| "Enaliornis barretti" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal genus and informal species of bird. | |
| "Enaliornis sedgwicki" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of bird. | |

### Pterosaurs
#### New taxa

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Ornithocheirus | Gen. nov. | Valid | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new genus name for multiple species including Pterodactylus simus Owen, 1861. |
| "Ornithocheirus carteri" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ornithocheirus platyrhinus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ptenodactylus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal designation for multiple informal species of pterosaur including Pterodactylus sedgwicki Owen, 1859. |
| "Ptenodactylus oweni" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ptenodactylus polyodon" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ptenodactylus microdon" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ptenodactylus scaphorhynchus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ptenodactylus macrorhinus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ptenodactylus brachyrhinus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ptenodactylus crassidens" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ptenodactylus dentatus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ptenodactylus nasutus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ptenodactylus tenuirostris" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ptenodactylus capito" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ptenodactylus eurygnathus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ptenodactylus machaerorhynchus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ptenodactylus platystomus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ptenodactylus enchorhynchus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ptenodactylus colorhinus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| "Ptenodactylus oxyrhinus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of pterosaur. |
| Pterodactylus macrurus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Berriasian | Purbeck Group | England | A species of Pterodactylus. |

### Ichthyosaurs
#### New taxa

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| "Ichthyosaurus angustidens" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Cenomanian | Chalk Group | England | An informal species of Ichthyosaurus. |
| "Ichthyosaurus walkeri" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of Ichthyosaurus. |
| "Ichthyosaurus doughtyi" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of Ichthyosaurus. |
| "Ichthyosaurus bonneyi" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of Ichthyosaurus. |
| "Ichthyosaurus platymerus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of Ichthyosaurus. |
| "Ichthyosaurus chalarodeirus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Kimmeridgian | Kimmeridge Clay Formation | England | An informal species of Ichthyosaurus. |
| "Ichthyosaurus hygrodeirus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Kimmeridgian | Kimmeridge Clay Formation | England | An informal species of Ichthyosaurus. |
| Ichthyosaurus megalodeirus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Oxfordian | Oxford Clay Formation | England | A species of Ichthyosaurus. |

### Plesiosaurs
#### New taxa

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Crymocetus | | Valid | Cope | | | | | |
| Polycotylus | | Valid | Cope | | | France ( Alabama, Kansas and Wyoming) | An advanced Short-Necked plesiosaur. | Polycotylus |
| "Plesiosaurus ichthyospondylus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of Plesiosaurus. | |
| "Plesiosaurus cycnodeirus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of Plesiosaurus. | |
| "Plesiosaurus microdeirus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of Plesiosaurus. | |
| "Plesiosaurus euryspondylus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of Plesiosaurus. | |
| "Plesiosaurus platydeirus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of Plesiosaurus. | |
| "Plesiosaurus ophiodeirus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of Plesiosaurus. | |
| "Plesiosaurus paecilospondylus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of Plesiosaurus. | |
| "Stereosaurus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal genus for species including Polyptychodon interruptus. | |
| "Stereosaurus platyomus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of plesiosaur. | |
| "Stereosaurus cratynotus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of plesiosaur. | |
| "Stereosaurus stenomus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | An informal species of plesiosaur. | |
| "Plesiosaurus megadeirus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Kimmeridgian | Kimmeridge Clay Formation | England | An informal species of Plesiosaurus. | |
| "Plesiosaurus sterrodeirus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Kimmeridgian | Kimmeridge Clay Formation | England | An informal species of Plesiosaurus. | |
| "Pliosaurus evansi" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Oxfordian | Oxford Clay Formation | England | An informal species of Pliosaurus. | |
| "Pliosaurus pachydeirus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Oxfordian | Oxford Clay Formation | England | An informal species of Pliosaurus. | |
| "Plesiosaurus philarchus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Oxfordian | Oxford Clay Formation | England | An informal species of Plesiosaurus. | |
| "Steneosaurus dasycephalus" | Invalid | Nomen nudum | Seeley | Oxfordian | Oxford Clay Formation | England | An informal species of plesiosaur. | |

## Paleontologists

* Death of German Paleontologist Christian Erich Hermann von Meyer.