# 1915 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 1915.

## Arthropods
### Newly named insects

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Aphaenogaster mersa | Sp nov | valid | Wheeler | Lutetian | Baltic amber | Russia | Fossil myrmicin ant. | Aphaenogaster mersa |
| Aphaenogaster oligocenica | Sp nov | valid | Wheeler | Lutetian | Baltic amber | Russia | Fossil myrmicin ant. | Aphaenogaster oligocenica |
| Asymphylomyrmex | Gen et sp nov | valid | Wheeler | Lutetian | Baltic amber | Russia | A dolichoderine ant. | Asymphylomyrmex balticus |
| Camponotus igneus | Sp nov | Jr synonym | Wheeler | Middle Eocene | Baltic amber | Europe | Fossil formicine ant. jr synonym of Camponotus mengei | Camponotus mengei |
| Dolichoderus mesosternalis | Sp nov | valid | Wheeler | Middle Eocene | Baltic amber | Europe | A Dolichoderine ant | Dolichoderus mesosternalis |
| Dolichoderus passalomma | Sp nov | valid | Wheeler | Middle Eocene | Baltic amber | Europe | A Dolichoderine ant | Dolichoderus passalomma |
| Drymomyrmex | Gen et 2 Sp nov | valid | Wheeler | Middle Eocene | Baltic amber | Europe | A formicine ant Type species D. fuscipennis | Drymomyrmex fuscipennis |
| Dolichoderus britannicus | Sp nov | Jr synonym | Cockerell | Late Eocene | | | A Dolichoderin ant jr synonym of Emplastus britannicus | Emplastus britannicus |
| Dolichoderus ovigerus | Sp nov | Jr synonym | Cockerell | Late Eocene | | | A Dolichoderin ant jr synonym of Emplastus britannicus | Emplastus britannicus |
| Erebomyrma antiqua | Comb nov | jr synonym | (Mayr, 1868) | Middle Eocene | Baltic amber | Europe | Fossil myrmicine ant, moved to Oligomyrmex antiqua in 1966 Synonym of Carebara antiqua | Carebara antiqua |
| Euponera (Trachymesopus) succinea | Comb nov | jr synonym | (Mayr) | Middle Eocene | Baltic Amber | Europe | A ponerine ant, new combination for Ponera succinea, moved to Pachycondyla succinea in 1995 | Pachycondyla succinea |
| Formica constrictus | Comb nov | Jr synonym | (Mayr, 1868) | Middle Eocene | Baltic amber | Europe | Fossil formicine ant., moved to Cataglyphis constrictus in 1967 Synonym of Cataglyphoides constrictus | Cataglyphoides constrictus |
| Iridomyrmex constricta | Comb nov | Jr synonym | (Mayr) | Lutetian | | | A Dolichoderin ant jr synonym of Anonychomyrma constricta | Anonychomyrma constricta |
| Iridomyrmex geinitzi | Comb nov | Jr synonym | Mayr | Lutetian | | | Fossil Dolichoderine ant, jr synonym of Anonychomyrma geinitzi | Anonychomyrma geinitzi |
| Iridomyrmex goepperti | Comb nov | Jr synonym | (Mayr, 1868) | Middle Eocene | Baltic amber | Europe | Fossil Dolichoderine ant, moved to Liometopum goepperti in 1992, jr synonym of Ctenobethylus goepperti | Ctenobethylus goepperti |
| Iridomyrmex oblongiceps | Sp nov | Jr synonym | Wheeler | Lutetian | Baltic amber | Russia | Fossil Dolichoderine ant, moved to Ctenobethylus oblongiceps in 2009, jr synonym of Eldermyrmex oblongiceps | Eldermyrmex oblongiceps |
| Iridomyrmex samlandica | Sp nov | Jr synonym | Wheeler | Lutetian | Baltic amber | Europe | Fossil Dolichoderin ant, jr synonym of Anonychomyrma samlandica | Anonychomyrma samlandica |
| Paraneuretus | Gen et 2 sp | Valid | Wheeler | Lutetian | Baltic amber | Russia | An aneuretine ant | Paraneuretus tornquisti |
| Ponera hypolitha | Sp nov | Jr synonym | Cockerell | Late Eocene | Bembridge Marls | | A Dolichoderin ant jr synonym of Emplastus hypolithus | Emplastus hypolithus |
| Sima klebsi | Sp nov | Jr synonym | Wheeler | Lutetian | Baltic amber | Europe | A pseudomyrmecine ant. Moved to Tetraponera klebsi in 1990 | Tetraponera klebsi |
| Stenamma berendti | comb nov | valid | (Mayr, 1868) | Middle Eocene | Baltic amber | Europe | A myrmicin ant. Moved from Aphaenogaster berendti | Stenamma berendti |
| Stiphromyrmex | gen et comb nov | valid | (Mayr, 1868) | Middle Eocene | Baltic amber | Europe | A myrmicin ant. A new genus for Stigmomyrmex robustus | Stiphromyrmex robustus |

## Archosauromorphs
### Newly named pseudosuchians

| Name | Authors | Location | Notes | Images | |
| Poposaurus | Mehl | Valid taxon | USA ( Arizona, Texas, Utah and Wyoming), | A Dinosaur-like poposaurid suchian. | Poposaurus |

### Dinosaurs

* Charles H. Sternberg's crew excavated a Corythosaurus from quarry 243 in Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada. The specimen would later be displayed at the Calgary Zoo.
* Matthew observed that fossils of hadrosaur eggs and hatchlings were absent in coastal areas and suggested that hadrosaurs may have preferred nesting grounds further inland. He believed that these inland nesting grounds were actually where hadrosaurs first evolved and therefore to breed, hadrosaurs retraced their ancestors route back to their place of origin. After hatching, the young hadrosaurs would spend some time inland maturing before migrating out to more coastal areas.

#### New taxa

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Kangnasaurus coetzeei | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Haughton | Middle Cretaceous | | South Africa | An iguanodontian |
| Kentrosaurus aethiopicus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Hennig | Late Jurassic | Tendaguru Formation | Tanzania | An African stegosaurid |
| Spinosaurus aegyptiacus | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Stromer | Cenomanian | Bahariya Formation | Egypt | A Sail-backed meat-eating Theropod. |

## Anapsids
### Turtles

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Cratochelone | gen et sp nov | valid | Longman | Albian | Toolebuc Formation | Australia | largest protostegid turtle from Australia | |

## Synapsids
### Non-mammalian

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Location | Notes | Images |
| Alopecognathus | Valid | Broom | 263 Millions years ago. | South Africa | | |
| Cerdodon | Valid | Broom | 266 Millions years ago. | South Africa | | |
| Galesuchus | Synonym of Eriphostoma. | Haughton | | | | |
| Moschosaurus | Valid | Haughton | | | | |
| Scylacorhinus | Valid | Broom | 263 Millions years ago. | South Africa | | |
| Simorhinella | Valid | Broom | | | | |
| Struthiocephalus | Valid | Haughton | 263 Millions years ago. | South Africa | Ostrich-Head ProtoMammal. | Struthiocephalus |
| Trochosaurus | Valid | Haughton | 263 Millions years ago. | South Africa | | |
| Tropidostoma | Valid | Broom | 257 Millions years ago. | South Africa | | |

## Paleontologists

* Death of Eberhard Fraas.