# 1902 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 1902.

## Plants
### Ferns and allies

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
| Ctenopteris columbiensis | Sp nov | | Penhallow | Lower Cretaceous | | Canada British Columbia | A Ctenopteris pinnule | |
| Sagenopteris oblongifolia | Sp nov | | Penhallow | Lower Cretaceous | | Canada British Columbia | A Sagenopteris pinnule | |

### Conifers

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
| Pseudotsuga miocena | Sp nov | valid | Penhallow | Eocene Ypresian | Okanagan Highlands Horsefly Shales | Canada British Columbia | A douglas fir wood morphospecies | Pseudotsuga miocena |

### Angiosperms

| Name | Novelty | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes |
| Clintonia oblongifolia | Sp nov | Penhallow | Eocene | Paskapoo Formation | Canada Alberta | A Clintonia leaf morphospecies |
| Majanthemophyllum grandifolium | Sp nov | Penhallow | Eocene | | Canada Alberta | A green briar leaf morphospecies |
| Viburnum ovatum | Sp nov | Penhallow | Eocene | | Canada Alberta | A viburnum leaf morphospecies |

## Turtles
### New turtle taxa

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Baena antiqua | Sp. nov. | Valid | Lambe | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Alberta | A species of Baena | |
| Neurankylus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Lambe | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Alberta | A chelydrid turtle | |

## Archosauromorphs
### Dinosaurs
#### New dinosaur taxa

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Dacentrurus | Gen. nov. | Valid | Lucas | Kimmeridgian | Kimmeridge Clay | UK | A new name for Omosaurus armatus Owen, 1875 non Leidy, 1856. |
| Didanodon | Gen. nov. | Nomen dubium | Osborn | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Alberta | A new genus name for Trachodon altidens Lambe, 1902. |
| Elosaurus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Jr. synonym | Peterson & Gilmore | Kimmeridgian | Morrison Formation | US | Genus is a junior synonym of Brontosaurus, while the species has been reassigned as Brontosaurus parvus. |
| Hoplitosaurus | Gen. nov. | Valid | Lucas | Barremian | Lakota Formation | USA | New genus name for Stegosaurus marshi (Lucas, 1901). |
| Monoclonius belli | Sp. nov. | Valid | Lambe | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Alberta | Later given the genus name Chasmosaurus |
| Monoclonius canadensis | Sp. nov. | Jr. synonym | Lambe | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Alberta | Junior synonym of Chasmosaurus belli |
| Monoclonius dawsoni | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Lambe | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Alberta | A dubious species of ceratopsid |
| Onychosaurus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Nopcsa | Campanian | | | A dubious name that may be a synonym of Zalmoxes. |
| Ornithomimus altus | Sp. nov. | Valid | Lambe | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Alberta | Later given the genus name Struthiomimus |
| Palaeoscincus asper | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Lambe | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Alberta | A dubious species of ankylosaurid. |
| Stegoceras | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Lambe | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Alberta | A pachycephalosaur |
| Stereocephalus tutus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Preoccupied | Lambe | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Alberta | Later renamed Euoplocephalus |
| Trachodon (Pteropelyx) altidens | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Lambe | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Alberta | A dubious species of hadrosaurid. Given the genus name Didanodon by Osborn in 1902. |
| Trachodon (Pteropelyx) marginatus | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Lambe | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Alberta | A dubious species of hadrosaurid. Later given the genus name Stephanosaurus |
| Trachodon (Pteropelyx) selwyni | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Lambe | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Alberta | A dubious species of hadrosaurid |

### Phytosaurs
#### New phytosaur taxa

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Rileya | Gen. et sp. nov | Preoccupied | von Huene | Rhaetian | | | A junior homonym of Rileya Ashmead, 1888 (hymenopteran). Renamed Rileyasuchus Kuhn, 1961. | |

### Protorosaurs

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Procerosaurus | gen et sp nov | jr synonym | von Huene | | | | jr synonym of Tanystropheus. | |

## Mammals
### New mammal taxa

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Ptilodus primaevus | Sp. nov. | Valid | Lambe | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Alberta | A species of Ptilodus | |
| Boreodon | Gen. et sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Lambe | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Alberta | A species of multituberculate | |

## Fish
### New fish taxa

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Acipenser albertensis | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Lambe | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Alberta | A species of Acipenser | |
| Diphyodus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Lambe | Campanian | Dinosaur Park Formation | Alberta | A species of fish | |