# 1876 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 1876.

## Dinosaurs

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Aublysodon lateralis | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Campanian | Judith River Formation | Montana | A species of Aublysodon |
| Chondrosteosaurus gigas | Gen. et sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Owen | Barremian | Wessex Formation | England | A sauropod |
| Diclonius pentagonus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Campanian | Judith River Formation | Montana | A hadrosaurid |
| Diclonius calamarius | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Campanian | Judith River Formation | Montana | A species of Diclonius |
| Diclonius perangulatus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Campanian | Judith River Formation | Montana | A species of Diclonius |
| Dysganus encaustus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Campanian | Judith River Formation | Montana | A ceratopsid |
| Dysganus bicarinatus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Campanian | Judith River Formation | Montana | A species of Dysganus |
| Dysganus haydenianus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Campanian | Judith River Formation | Montana | A species of Dysganus |
| Dysganus peiganus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Campanian | Judith River Formation | Montana | A species of Dysganus |
| Laelaps explanatus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Campanian | Judith River Formation | Montana | A species of Laelaps |
| Laelaps falculus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Campanian | Judith River Formation | Montana | A species of Laelaps |
| Laelaps incrassatus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Campanian | Judith River Formation | Montana | A species of Laelaps |
| Macrurosaurus semnus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Albian | Cambridge Greensand | England | A sauropod |
| Monoclonius crassus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Campanian | Judith River Formation | Montana | A ceratopsid |
| Paronychodon lacustris | Gen. et sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Campanian | Judith River Formation | Montana | A troodontid |
| Zapsalis abradens | Gen. et sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Campanian | Judith River Formation | Montana | A dromaeosaurid |

## Anapsids
### Newly named anapsids

| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Location | Notes | Images |
| Anthodon | | Sir Richard Owen | | South Africa  Tanzania | A pareiasaur. | Anthodon |
| Pareiasaurus | | Sir Richard Owen | | South Africa  Zambia | A pareiasaur | Pareiasaurus |

## Plesiosaurs
### Newly named plesiosaurs

| Name | Status | Authors | Notes |
| Plesiosaurus longirostris | Valid | Blake | Now referred to Hauffiosaurus. |
| Plesiosaurus propinquus | Junior synonym | Blake | A junior synonym of Rhomaleosaurus zetlandicus. |
| Uronautes | Valid | Cope | |

## Pterosaurs
### New taxa

| Name | Status | Authors | Authors | Location | Notes | Images |
| Nyctosaurus | Valid | Marsh | | USA ( Kansas) | A Pterosaur with an antenna-like crest . | Nyctosaurus |
| Pteranodon | Valid | Marsh | | USA Kansas  England  Japan | An Crested Pterosaur, Erroneously known as "Pterodactyl" | Pteranodon |

## Synapsids
### Non-mammalian

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Location | Notes | Images |
| Cistecephalus | Valid | Owen | 255 Millions of years ago. | South Africa | Box-Headed animal | Cistecephalus |
| Endothiodon | Valid | Owen | 257 Millions of years ago. | Brazil  India  Malawi  South Africa  Tanzania  Zambia | | Endothiodon |
| Gorgonops | Valid | Owen | 257 Millions of years ago. | Malawi  South Africa | A Gorgonopsian. | Gorgonops |
| Scaloposaurus | Valid | Owen | 251 Millions of years ago. | South Africa | | Scaloposaurus |
| Tapinocephalus | Valid | Owen | 261 Millions of years ago. | South Africa | A Dome-headed Dinocephalian. | Tapinocephalus |
| Theriognathus | Valid | Owen | 255 Millions of years ago. | Tanzania | | Theriognathus |
| Titanosuchus | Valid | Owen | 261 Millions of years ago. | South Africa | Titanic crocodile. | Titanosuchus |