# 1870 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 1870.

## Arthropods
### Newly named insects

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Bibio lartetii | Sp. nov | jr synonym | Oustalet, 1870 | Oligocene | | France | A bibionid, moved to Plecia larteti in 2017 | Plecia larteti |
| Protomyia lugens | Sp nov | jr synonym | Oustalet, 1870 | Oligocene | | France | A bibionid, moved to Penthetria lugens in 2017 | Penthetria lugens |

## "Fish"

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Asineops' | Gen et Sp nov | valid | Cope | Eocene Ypresian | Green River Formation | US Wyoming | A fish of possibly Percopsiformes affiliation. The type species is A. squamifrons | Asineops squamifrons |
| Cyprinodon levatus | Sp nov | Jr synonym | Cope | Eocene Ypresian | Green River Formation | US Wyoming | A percopsid fish Moved to Erismatopterus levatus in 1871 | Erismatopterus levatus |

## Turtles

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Pneumatoarthrus | Gen et sp nov | valid | Cope | Cretaceous Maastrichtian | Mount Laurel Formation | US New Jersey | First identified as a possible basal sauropod. Reidentified as a protostegid marine turtle. The type species is P. peloreus | Pneumatoarthrus |

## Archosauromorphs
### Newly named birds

| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Location | Notes |
| Laornis | Misidentification. | Marsh | USA New Jersey | Misidentified bird. The type species is L. edvardsianus |

### Dinosaurs

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Antrodemus | Gen. nov. | Nomen dubium | Leidy | Tithonian | Morrison Formation | Colorado | Possible subjective synonym of Allosaurus |
| Hadrosaurus minor | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Marsh | Maastrichtian | Navesink Formation? | New Jersey | A species of Hadrosaurus |
| Ornithopsis hulkei | Gen. et sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Barremian | Wealden Formation | England | Earlier it was believed that the fossils were those of a pterosaur. But now it is known that they were the bones of a Sauropod. |
| "Struthiosaurus" | | Nomen nudum | Bunzel | Campanian | Grünbach Formation | Austria | An ankylosaur formally named Struthiosaurus in 1871 |

## Plesiosaurs
### New taxa

| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Location | Notes |
| Taphrosaurus | Valid | Cope | | USA ( New Jersey) | |
| Uronautes | Valid | Cope | | | |

## Pterosaurs

* Harry Govier Seeley published his expansive book The Ornithosauria, reviewing the anatomy and classification of pterosaurs.

### New taxa

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Cycnorhamphus | Gen. nov. | Valid | Seeley | Kimmeridgian | Nursplinger Schist | Germany | A new genus for Pterodactylus suevicus Quenstedt, 1855 |
| Ornithocheirus brachyrhinus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. |
| Ornithocheirus capito | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. |
| Ornithocheirus colorhinus | Sp. nov. | Valid | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. Later named Camposipterus colorhinus |
| Ornithocheirus crassidens | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. |
| Ornithocheirus dentatus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. |
| Ornithocheirus denticulatus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. |
| Ornithocheirus enchorhynchus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. |
| Ornithocheirus eurygnathus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. |
| Ornithocheirus huxleyi | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. |
| Ornithocheirus machaerorhynchus | Sp. nov. | Valid | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. Later named Lonchodraco machaerorhynchus. |
| Ornithocheirus microdon | Sp. nov. | Valid | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. Later named Lonchodraco microdon. |
| Ornithocheirus nasutus | Sp. nov. | Valid | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. Later named Camposipterus nasutus. |
| Ornithocheirus oxyrhinus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. |
| Ornithocheirus platystomus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. |
| Ornithocheirus polyodon | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. |
| Ornithocheirus reedi | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. |
| Ornithocheirus scaphorhynchus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. |
| Ornithocheirus tenuirostris | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. |
| Ornithocheirus xyphorhynchus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A new species of Ornithocheirus. |
| Rhabdopelix | | Misidentification | Cope | | | | At first it was thought to be a Triassic pterosaur, but is now known to be (at least in part) a kuehneosaurid |

## Synapsids
### Non-mammalian

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Location | Notes | Images |
| Lystrosaurus | Valid | Cope | 252 million years ago. | Antarctica  China  India  South Africa | It was a protomammal that had fangs very similar to those of a walrus. | Lystrosaurus |